Gohan's Moving Castle
by AlphaDelta1001
Summary: Seven years after the Cell Games, the world has become a very different place. Filled with all sorts of myths and stories, this one is about a castle, and the person who lives within it. AU of DBZ. HMC AU. G&V. DISCONTINUED
1. Prologue

**Gohan's Moving Castle**

**Prologue**

_**Mount Paoz…**_

_**40 Miles outside of East City…**_

It was a warm, sunny day out over the East side of planet earth. The skies were clear, the breeze was cool yet the temperature was fairly warm, and everyone was out and about. Peace has rained down on the planet and its people for going on seven years, and many things have changed. Though no one took noticed, and at the same time cared very little. All everyone could think about was getting on with their lives through work and through pleasure. Living in happiness was the standard man or woman's dream.

The cityscapes making up the man-made landmark dubbed East City stood proudly where it was set. The Eastern plains was the perfect place to be, however it wasn't all flat land and pure. About 30 miles outside of the city lay ranges of mountains, hills and wastelands. All these natural wonders were green and growing healthy, but were very treacherous. Everyone who lived in East city was afraid to go out beyond their borders on foot because of the dangers that lay in the Mount Paoz Wastes. It was best to stay in the city where it was safe and under the protection of the Royal Army's guard.

From a distance, the city was booming and lit up by the sun, but deep into the wastes, a foggy, cloudy mist blocked out all sight of Paoz's mountains. For nearly a year now Mount Paoz's mountains had expanded to Satan City's borders as pieces of land were lost to the neighboring Ox Kingdom. But for too long the Ox Kingdom has been out of touch and was, what other people said; 'lost'. Since last month, no one has heard from the Ox Kingdom. Still, life goes on.

The cloud of mist that fell onto the Paoz Wastes kept most of the land features hidden. Sometimes this cover would lift, revealing the clear, beautiful mountains from time to time. But throughout most of the day the sickly mist would remain. If anyone were to venture into the cloudy mists they would be consumed by an almost nightmarish view that was impossible to trek out of. Magic donned creatures of all sorts lived in the mists. Some people said it was Kami's doing or were the lost spirits of long gone souls. But the truth was, it was all a figment of imagination. The people were just too caught up in a fantasy world.

Moving away from the city and into the hillsides, very little could be seen, only the color white. It was cold out here, and very moist. The recent storm that had passed surely relieved the parched grass and plants. The cold and storms were a lot worse during winter. But now that it had passed, it left a majority of its essence behind. The cold drifted on for miles on end, with no hope of seeing daylight except if you were to head in the nearby city's direction. The mist was blinding.

For some time, more belief fell that there was really nothing out beyond the city in the Wastes. But as it turns out, there was…

Loud, heavy stomping could be heard echoing through the white mists, shaking the earth with the sheer colossal of whatever it was coming into view. Loud hisses and gears grinding could also be heard, with other very distant yet familiar noises accompanying these tremors. Looking into the mists, a shadowy outline of something big came too, and was getting closer with each passing second.

When time came to pass, it was revealed what the thing was. A giant, poorly built, robotic structure of some kind came stomping out of the mist. The four, thin legs supported the massive bulk of the mechanical beast, as well as move it across the harsh landscapes. It seemed impossible that such a large structure like this could even be built, let alone walk on its own accord. Something was up.

Upon closer inspections, you could identify numerous pieces dotting its exterior. For starters the base structure resembled that of a giant fish but it was walking like a bug. Piled up, layer by layer on top of the base were pieces of different types of buildings, as well as very factory like structures, cranes, pillars, towers etc. The funnels were also of factory design. Whatever the case, this walking pile of metal, brick and cement, which was stuffed to the gills with all sorts of material, was with no doubt: a castle.

The massive structure walked over the grassy, sometimes earthy hills, making the same horrible noises along the way. It would be impossible to try and talk over the racket it made. It was a surprise that the people living in East City couldn't hear it. However, every time the fog lifted, the people would catch a glimpse of this giant machine walking over the hills, but would always disappear a second later. Right now, that time was to come again.

For over an hour the beastly castle continued to walk blindly through the mists, but seconds later, the mists suddenly lifted. Suddenly the castle appeared out in the open just behind a small farm nestled on the border of East City. The sun hit the castle and the land, lighting it up and making it stick out like a sore thumb. Its cover was blown.

The old woman who lived on the farm was busy shepherding her sheep into their pen, taking them in from a morning of grazing. While she was herding them up hill, she heard a loud machine of some sort and a strange presence of something cold nearby. Looking up, she let out a gasp of surprise when she saw a massive, monster of a machine walk by. The walking, building complex quickly stomped back into the mists it had come from, not wanting to be seen a second longer. The old woman had just ten more seconds longer to look at it before it disappeared once more as quickly as it had come.

The giant, walking castle had been seen many times but only briefly. In the earlier years it had been seen, people wondered who the machine belonged to. Some people said it was some sort of experiment from West City; another attempt by Bulma Briefs to make a mobile house. But as time went on, people came to know it as Gohan's Moving Castle, by the young man who was said to live in it. The stories of him had grown for many months now…and it all started with his myth behind the Cell Games seven years before…

This was where the story begins…

TO BE CONTINUED…


	2. Swept off Her Feet

**Gohan's Moving Castle**

**Swept off her feet**

_**East City…**_

_**Orange Star High School…**_

Sometimes, days like these weren't as fun and ongoing. If anyone was looking for fun to escape the work of the day, they would go to the parade being hosted in the center of the city. Schools across town were closed, except for Orange Star High school. Even though students were asked to come, they had more of a choice on this particular day. They could either go to the celebrations or come to school and do some extended study time. For most, the parade was looking better then being stuck at school doing work all day. But for one, it was a time to catch up on stuff she had missed.

Sitting quietly and alone in her homeroom class, a raven haired girl with pigtails, a white, over-sized T-shirt, black bicycle shorts, boots and fingerless fighting gloves, was hard at work. With a blue, ball point pen in her right hand and a graph book laid out in front of her, the girl known as Videl Satan was busy practicing her math. Calculus was the last thing on her 'list of work to do' today, giving reason to why she was taking so long. She was raking the back of her mind to find the answers she was looking for.

Tapping her pen against her desk, the young teenager had her head propped up on her hand and elbow. She stared blankly down at her nearly complete work, wondering how to end the last equation. It was taking all her brain power to solve it.

Just as she was on her last limb, she heard a knock on the classroom door and looked up. There, she saw her teacher Miss Schafer standing there with a smile on her face, looking very cheerful. The teacher was dressed casually, wearing a pink dress with a yellow, wooly jumper worn on top. She had brown hair tied back into a pony tail and she also wore a straw hat. She looked very young for her age.

Miss Schafer was looking up at Videl, seeing her staring back with that ever surprised yet exhausted expression on her face.

"Videl, you've done enough work for today. The school is closing up. Maybe its time for you to head on home now," she exclaimed quietly. "All the teachers are taking the rest of the day off to go and watch the parade. It will be fun. Why don't you tag along?"

Videl just smiled kindly in return and shook her head. "No thanks ma'am, I'm nearly done. You can go ahead, I'll lock the front door on my way out," Videl replied. The teacher nodded with a slight shrug.

"Alright then Videl. Make sure the doors are secure when you leave. See you later," Miss Schafer replied with a curt nod. Videl waved to her before she was out of sight. After seeing her teacher left, she went back to work. Just as she was hitting her graph page, she suddenly noticed something out of the corner of her eye and glanced to her left out the window.

Because the school was built on a high vantage point within the hill regions of the city, and for a fact that she was on the third floor, she was able to get a good view of the landscapes beyond the city. What she saw, several miles out of the city's perimeter were a lot of hills. Behind the hills a dense fog of cloud cover slowly drifted over the land, blocking out view of the high mountains further beyond her sight. It was against the white clouds did she spot something out of place, which was quite hard to spot considering how far away it was.

Walking slowly over the hill, clearly imprinted against the white cloud was what Videl saw a walking, machine like building. Several small pillars of burning smoke rose into the air from the distant structure, and judging by its movements and design, Videl immediately recognized it to be Gohan's Castle. But just as her eyes were beginning to stretch further out toward the wastes, the castle suddenly disappeared behind the fog and out of sight. She was surprised at how quickly it had vanished.

She tilted her head in puzzlement and curiosity. _"How can such a thing exist…a walking castle? Man, whatever it is out there, I'd like to know. I don't think it's that dangerous. Maybe people are over exaggerating,"_ Videl thought. She shook her head, tearing her eyes away from the hillsides of the wastes. It was pretty clear that the castle won't be showing itself around here again for a while. Videl sighed. _"And the stories about Gohan, please…there is no way anyone is cannibalistic enough to eat another person's heart. Steal it, yes, but eat it, I don't think so."_

With frustration and exhaustion overwhelming her, the raven haired girl decided that maybe she should get going. Closing her book and packing away her stuff, Videl collected her backpack and headed down the isle. Leaving the classroom as it was, she locked the door behind her before proceeding for the stairway. Easily tracking it, she trotted down to the ground floor and headed outside. Just like she promised to her teacher, Videl locked the double doors behind her.

Taking her leave, Videl left the school grounds altogether and came to stand on the footpath beside the road that ran round the school. Looking around, the raven haired girl then looked down at her watch. It was 3:26 PM, early in the afternoon. Figuring she had some time, Videl turned and headed down the road leading off to the East side of the city. It was in that direction the parade was taking place, in the same area her friend Eraser lived. It was a mighty risk, but she may as well go kill some time and check up on her friend.

"_I wonder if Eraser ever went to the parade. Nah, she probably went home. She probably has better things to do then watch some guys dressed in uniforms marching along the highway. A quick trip across town would do me some good anyway,"_ Videl thought to herself.

Videl only had to walk a few blocks down for several minutes before coming across the bus stop and the bus that would take her the rest of the way. While she was clambering onto the double-decker vehicle, a squadron of planes soared overhead. The bi-planes let out a roar as their engines were pushed into full on drive, making one hell of a noise. Looking up, Videl saw them pass by, dragging behind them the flag banners of their country. From that one glance, she couldn't help but think how patriotic the Royal military was. She ignored them now and hopped onto the bus.

Paying the fair Videl stood by the entrance to the crowded vehicle. With a jerk and a rev of the engine, they were off. The raven haired girl soon found herself hurried across town on the local transport. Making sure she held onto the railing bar to keep herself from falling off, the teenage crime fighter watched the buildings and streets pass her by. It was certainly well packed today. People walking around either on their own or in groups, with many others standing around and talking. It was a very free day she had to admit.

Blocks passed her with more and more people making their appearances. The parade was a great deal to the people as it allowed them to turn away from the rising conflicts going on around them. Speaking of which, as Videl drew closer to the East side of town, she could hear the loud, booming music of the military bands playing in the distance, amplified by the speakers set up all around the area in which the parade was being hosted. To accompany the racket of the band, loud cheering echoed all around, making Videl cringe. She knew it was going to be packed. Judging by the screams, cheers and out roars of songs, it was going to be tough getting around.

When the bus pulled across the bridge crossing the railroad, Videl knew they had entered the parade area. As they crossed the bridge, Videl saw long stretches of train moving around below. The bridge was loaded with people as well as other buses, and it made her feel even more uncomfortable. She hated large crowds.

The train that was passing by was no ordinary train. It belonged to the Royal military, which used it to transport supplies and weapons from near and far. The reputedly spoken armored train was passing by. It was completely fitted with heavy guns, machine guns, anti-aircraft guns and artillery cannons. To add to it, it looked like a railroad tank. There were Royal army soldiers cramped out on top of it. They were dressed in Khaki, WWI British uniforms with the dish shaped, Brodie helmets and Lee Enfield rifles. Their outfits represented their mechanized, train division, a unique design of uniform to the rest of the military forces.

After watching the bridge pass by Videl turned back to look ahead of the bus. Leaning out a bit, Videl could see where she was going. The depot wasn't too far away and already Videl could see hundreds of heads of the hundreds of people coming to see the parade. Flags waved and emblems flew high. It was the most decorated bus depot Videl had ever seen.

Within seconds, she arrived at her stop and the raven haired girl was forced from her place. With thanks to the bus driver, Videl took her leave and began departing from the bus depot. Staying away from the crowds, Videl headed in the direction of Eraser's house. Since it was just across the central East quad, she would get there in no time. But there was a problem. The quad also served as the main restaurant sector for the people who lived in the area and it was packed now. Royal Army Officers and high ranking enlisted personnel were in the quad, hanging out with their girlfriends and/or wives, and enjoying a nice afternoon celebration lunch. To make matters worse, more crowds were packed into the area to cheer on their countries defenders.

Videl would have to find another way around.

Meanwhile, ways down the highway and into to main road weaving through the city streets, the parade was going on. The music was even louder from where she stood, but at the actual parade, the music was booming. The cheering and shouting was deafening, not to mention the crowds were amassing by the roadside even more by the minute. Nobody could get through the hordes of people.

Marching down the main road, an entire 2 regiments worth of soldiers was on the march. Dressed smartly in blue battle dresses, brown utility belts, black combat boots, red epaulettes on their shoulders, blue kepi hats and armed with the standard Kar98K bolt-action rifles, they distinguished themselves proudly. The leading Sergeant's of the parade were more noticeable. They had the golden stripes on their arms, had more badges on them, had Colt .45 side arms, sabers and blue garrison caps. The higher ranking Sergeant's led the marches.

After the first division of infantry went by, a cavalry company followed. These guys looked stunning. Not only did they wear the blue military uniform, instead of the buttoned up jacket coats and kepi hats, they wore golden armor with a golden, roman like helmet. They were armed with spears (with the country flags tied to them), sabers and Mauser Infanteriegewehr 98 bolt-action rifles. After the cavalry went by, a column of tanks followed. Mostly consisting of M3 Stuart's, M3 'General Grants' and M2 A4's, they didn't look that strong. They made up for their light build with their speed and numbers. After the column of tanks passed with their support infantry marching beside them, halftracks and another infantry division came. This parade would continue on for the entire day until the entire army had walked through the town and would head toward the next one.

Videl didn't take much notice. As soon as she left the depot, she took a small detour down a wide alleyway. The alleyway was filled with small shops that were open and small motels. There were several people here but nothing for her to be concerned about.

When she entered the alley of shops, the sounds of cheering and music was immediately tuned down. Though relieved that almost all the noise was turned down, she still had a long way to go. So, continuing on, she made her way through the alley. Looking at the numbers nailed up onto every shop door or wall, she began calculating how long it would take her to get to Eraser's apartment.

It was still some distance away, so Videl figured she had better stop wasting timer and pick up the pace. Turning left down another alley, Videl passed through a stone archway. It entered some sort of small, alley garden. It had a few benches and a tree growing in the centre of the setup, but it was nothing much to look at. It was peaceful here, a more humid then normal. She saw vines crawling up the nearby walls, covering what she saw were posters to join the army. Well, that was beyond her mind now. But then she also spotted something else. Glancing to her right, she saw rows upon rows of army backpacks with Kar98K rifles stacked together in triangle pyramids. She gasped in surprise when she saw a lone soldier standing guard over the gear, his eyes glued on her.

Not wanting to be caught out here, Videl kept on walking like she didn't see anything. She kicked into stride and moved off before she could be questioned. The next time she came across a cross road in the alleyway between several buildings, she was sure to check where she was going. She stopped and took a moment to think and find out where she was.

Looking to her left she saw the crowds of hundreds of people down in that direction, all of them cheering on the parade. She was closer then she thought, even though most sound was blocked off. The people were too caught up in their celebrations to notice her. Looking ahead, she aw the alley continue down a block of apartments. That was definitely not the way she wanted to go. When she looked right, she found a much better track. It wasn't dark, and the alley was wide enough for a car to slip through. The numbers she was following also took her in the direction of Eraser's house. If she took that way, then she would be able to bypass the restaurant quad and avoid the eyes of the public.

Turning on her heel she headed off again. Along the way, she began checking out the apartments and buildings she was passing. It was definitely a long strip and certainly didn't look like a cluster of houses. If it wasn't for the height of the buildings she would have felt a little bit more comfortable. She also wondered why it had gotten so cold.

Minutes after checking the buildings, she turned back to the path, only to run into someone. A bit taken aback, Videl took a step backwards and looked up. It came as somewhat of a surprise when she came face to face with a rather tall soldier. He wore the same uniform as those soldiers on the march back at the parade.

The auburn haired soldiers smiled in a very friendly way, too friendly for her taste. "Hey there, if it isn't Miss Satan. How are you today?" the soldier asked with a grin. Videl scowled, looking tough. Even though he looked intimidating from his height, she knew she was the stronger.

"I'm fine. Would you mind moving, I need to get through," Videl stated. Seeing that the guy wasn't going to move she tried stepping around him. She was blocked off when the soldier stood further out from the wall so that he blocked her way. Videl stepped back again, not wanting to get _too_ close. She looked up at him with distaste.

"You look a little thirsty Miss Satan. Perhaps you could come with us for a little drink," the soldier continued, pressing his luck. Videl raised an eyebrow, wondering what he meant by 'us'. She was soon answered by a second soldier stepping out from the shadows, his Kar98K rifle flung over his shoulder and hanging from the straps. This guy was dressed similarly but had black hair and a big mustache.

Videl hardened her glare. This guy was really getting on her nerves. "No thanks. Could you please move, I don't want to ask you again," Videl said loudly. Her voice bounced off the walls, but she didn't shake the soldier's standing in her way. The auburn haired infantryman chuckled and glanced at his friend who bent over to take a closer look at the raven haired girl. Videl stepped back further, even more surprised at the nerve of the two men.

"Hey, she's pretty cute don't you reckon? Those clothes aren't much to look at, but she's alright," the mustached soldier exclaimed to his friend. The first soldier nodded in agreement and took a step closer to Videl, making her step back.

"Yeah. So, how old are you anyway? Do you live around here?" the auburn haired soldier asked. Videl was kind of disgusted by his…THEIR slick attitudes. How could they…two of their country's soldiers trying to hit on her? She balled her fists, her arms shaking and her eyes narrowing down on them. Her eyes flashed a dangerous blue.

"Leave me alone okay. I'm in a hurry so I'll ask you again, step away please," Videl said even louder then before. Her voice threatened to crack the glass of a nearby window. The auburn haired soldier hunched both eyebrows up, impressed by her steamy reaction. He chuckled again and turned to his friend.

"Hey, she's even cuter when she's angry. What do you think?" the soldier asked.

The other guy nodded in agreement. "Yeah, and I thought I've seen everything."

Before the two of them could comment any further, they were suddenly interrupted by another voice making its way into the conversation. It didn't come from behind them, it actually came from behind Videl. It was rather surprising since they didn't hear or see anyone else approaching.

"There you are sweetheart, sorry I'm late," the cool, deep and husky voice said. "I was looking everywhere for you", he continued.

Looking up, the two soldiers saw a blonde, spiky haired man appear out of nowhere and stood behind Videl. He had a rather cheerful smile on his face.

Videl tensed and gasped in surprise when she suddenly felt an arm wrap itself around her with the person's hand coming to rest on her right shoulder. The auburn haired soldier was rather frustrated at having his moves blown off by this weirdo.

"Hey, hey, we're busy here," he said in a threatening voice. The blonde haired man chuckled, pulling Videl closer to him.

"Are you really? It looked to me like the two of you were just leaving…" Then something really out of the ordinary happened.

Swishing his right finger upwards, the young man began performing a little trick beyond Videl's or the soldiers' eyes. With that one movement, the two soldiers suddenly snapped to attention, letting out yells of surprise. After that, they snapped to their left. Then, leading them with his hand, the blonde haired man finished off his little 'trick'. The two soldiers began shouting protests and shocked grunts when they began marching away beyond their own will. Turning, they marched down in the direction of the alleyway crossroad Videl just came from. Videl watched them with a rather surprised look, seeing the two complaining soldiers disappear down the alley and out of sight. Now _that_ was weird.

She looked up at the man who had saved, her, hearing him begin to talk. "Don't hold it against them. They're actually not all that bad," the young man said with a grin across his lips. When Videl saw his face, she immediately began taking notes of his features.

The young man had blonde, spiky hair that stood on end, as if defying gravity. It was remarkably stiffened as well. He also had a really defined, mature face, with teal shaded eyes. He also had two bangs of hair hanging down in front of his forehead. Her observations continued over his outfit and form. The young man wore a white, long sleeved, Japanese styled shirt with black laces instead of buttons. It was a traditional wear by the looks of it and it was tucked in. Around his waste he wore a black obi or sash, and for pants, he wore a type of black, gi trousers. He also wore red ankle weights, martial arts shoes and over his shoulders he had a black, long sleeved jumper that was made of a very fine material (note leather).

He chuckled at Videl's surprised look. "So…where too? I'll be your escort this evening," he continued on, being more gentlemanly then anyone Videl had met. She was even more taken aback, not just by his tone of voice but how handsome he was.

"Oh…I was just heading over to my friend's apartment," Videl replied, a light blush appearing on her cheeks. The young man nodded in understanding.

"Okay then, I'll take you there," he said, taking her arm so that they were linked together. Videl didn't hesitate but was still a little shaken. "Don't be alarmed but I'm being followed. Act normal," he continued. This caught the raven haired girl's attention, but before she could say another word they were off.

Together, the two of them began making the rest of the way down the alley. Passing by more buildings and keeping in step with each other, it appeared they would get where they were going in no time. It was quiet, very quiet. The music and cheering of the parade had been left way behind, leaving the two in a very peaceful environment. Neither of them was worked.

Looking up at the blonde haired man, Videl saw that ever kind smile on his face and his eyes staring ahead of them. She began wondering where he had come from. She didn't sense anyone following her, nor did she see anyone in the alleyway that looked like him. If she was being followed she would have known about it before he had a chance to sneak up on her. While these thoughts were passing through her mind, the question of how he was able to ward off those two soldiers dwarfed her other thoughts. She had never seen anything like it. Was he a wizard or something? Or was it some sort of trick. Either way, it definitely gave her something to think about during their stride down the alley.

When the pair of them passed by one of the military poster's, a sudden dark shadow suddenly emerged from the wall. Oozing out of the wall, a black, blob like creature with a bowler cap suddenly appeared. It's very liquid face and body slid out and onto the path of the alley, its eyeless face following the couple walking away from it. At first you would think there was only one. But it wasn't alone. Seconds after it appeared, a dozen more suddenly liquefied out of the walls and slid onto the path. Legs and arms formed on them as they stood up and slowly, very sluggishly, began walking after them.

The stench of the creatures reached the couple's nostrils and Videl became more aware that they were being pursued. She thought it was the two soldiers, but unfortunately for her, it was something much worse. The blonde haired man wasn't concerned. He calmly continued walking on with his arm still linked with Videl's.

"Sorry…it looks like you're involved. Guess they found me," the young man said. Videl looked up at him in surprise but then looked ahead of her again. Just beyond a turning corner of the alley, Videl was horrified to see several, black blob creatures ooze out of the walls in front of her. The creatures made strangled groaning sounds as they appeared, stepping out onto the path and forming limbs. OK, now she was scared.

She wrapped both her arms around the young man's. She could feel muscles underneath the baggy sleeve of his shirt, but didn't take much time to marvel over it. Right now they were stuck in the middle of a very sticky situation. But where there's a will, there's a way, and the blonde haired man had a way out of this.

"This way," he whispered, turning left and heading down the route he planned on taking. Videl gasped and followed quickly. She had to walk a little bit faster because of her size. This man was really quick, but that may be because he had wider footsteps.

After turning the corner, the two of them picked up the pace. They began trotting down the alley, passing doorways and other buildings. They even passed a drunken man who was asleep in a corner but didn't even glance at him. The blob like creatures was still in hot pursuit. They rushed after them, not inclined on stopping. One of the creatures though stopped and glared down at the sleeping man. Finding out that he wasn't the one he was searching for, the blob creature continued on.

Now beginning to run down the alley, Videl and the young man began heading towards the exit of the alley. Beyond them was the quad, with crowds of people massed in the East central. Videl was hoping that they would make it. Not wanting to get caught by the things that were chasing them, she continued on. The alley around them turned to a blur as they began sprinting, both of them keeping several meters ahead of their chasers. It seemed as though they were going to make it. But they were not out of this neck of the woods yet.

Suddenly just as they were closing in on the exit more blob creature suddenly appeared in front of them. Seeping up and out of the path, the mass of creatures formed a high, thick wall of slime that reached right up to the second floor. It became black with shadow, and Videl began to panic. The blonde haired man smiled down at her and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her close.

"Hold on…" he said. Videl didn't need telling twice. She quickly latched onto him, wrapped her arms around his chest and keeping him close. Just as the creatures were almost upon them, Videl found herself shooting up into the air. She let out a cry of shock when the two of them exited the alleyway and shot up into the sky.

Looking down, Videl saw the blob creatures collide with one another. They meshed together like mud, forming a giant block, corking the alley where they were. Though she was relieved they managed to evade the creatures, Videl was still shocked that she was floating in mid-air.

The young man stopped so that the two of them came to float several stories above the buildings and East central quad below. They were way out of sight of the public, which was good. Kami knows what would happen if the pair were caught floating high above the ground. It was abnormal. Videl was still shocked by the fact that she was actually floating. Still holding onto the young man, the raven haired girl hugged him tighter and closer, hoping that she wouldn't fall. The blonde haired man had no intention of letting her fall to her death.

Looking down at the girl, he smiled and shook her slightly, just so to get her attention. Videl looked up at him while still keeping her arms wrapped around him tightly. She still looked scared. The blonde haired man smiled. "So…it was your friend's apartment right?" Videl nodded in response. He smiled more kindly back. "Alright then…it will only take a minute…just sit tight…"

They were on the move again, but this time they weren't on foot. Videl stared in amazement as they began drifting through the air gently. Picking up a bit of speed, they suddenly became slightly horizontal to the ground, the wind now rushing by like a fierce breeze. Videl took this opportunity to look around and admire the scenery. She rarely saw the city like this. Since last year personalized aircraft were ground to make way for other military air traffic. This was quite apparent. After seeing three more planes fly by on the horizon, Videl didn't want to question the authority's motives.

Far below, Videl saw the quad pass by underneath. She could see army officers and hundreds of other people indulged in a thick celebration of dancing and dining. Cheers and happy exclamation of speech rang out, with all of them completely unaware of the pair floating high above them. So far, nobody noticed them.

Looking in the direction they were going, Videl could see the familiar white apartment building coming in. Seated behind the restaurant quad, she knew this was definitely the place. Videl had visited her friend many times before in the past. Within seconds, the pair of them reached the seventh floor balcony two apartments down from the left. Videl easily recognized the design and, touching down on the railings, she was slowly lowered to her feet. Gazing up at the blonde haired man, Videl saw him smile, her hand still intertwined with his.

The young man nodded to her with a smile. "There you go. I'll make sure to draw off those fiends, but wait a bit before you head back outside," he whispered. Videl smiled back up at him and nodded, her hand slowly sliding out of his as he pulled away.

"OK…"

He smiled more kindly. "That's my girl…" And, with a final nod, the young man suddenly leaned back and fell over the edge of the balcony. Videl let out a gasp of surprise and rushed over to the railings, looking over the side of the balcony to see what had happened to her spiky haired savior. When she looked down, she only saw the roof of the restaurant far below, along with the crowded streets and quad. She blinked in shock, unable to find a body of the young man on the street below or find any trace of him.

He was gone…

Videl heard a cry of surprise behind her and wheeled around. Standing by the opened up sliding door to the balcony was Eraser. The blonde haired girl was dressed in blue jeans, a green tube top and indoor slippers, not to mention was holding one of her Woman's Day magazine's. She had her right hand on her chest and was breathing in rapidly, her heart rate off the charts. She was no less then startled at seeing her friend here…on her balcony!

"Videl?! What…how…?" Videl smiled and gave a slight wave.

"Hey there Eraser," Videl exclaimed. Her friend dropped her magazine and rushed over to her friend, taking her hands and looking directly at her. With wide eyes and a gob smacked mouth hanging open, she began asking her friend questions and shaking her to get the information out.

"Videl, how did you get up here? Did you float down onto my balcony or something? What happened?" Eraser shouted, bombarding Videl with questions. The raven haired girl had yet recovered from her shocking experience. She wasn't even able to keep up with her friend's ranting.

Once Eraser had calmed down the two of them took a seat on the table and chairs set up on the balcony and began talking. This time Eraser allowed Videl to explain to her what had happened. She was given the full story: starting from school, to the alleyway encounter with the blonde haired stranger, the abnormal tricks he used, the attack by the blob creatures and the sudden flight the rest of the way here. She made sure she didn't leave anything out. Videl even described what the young man looked like to Eraser. Though her friend found the guy quite attractive from Videl's explanations, she was still very concerned. As Videl talked, the parade and celebrations continued. They could hear the music and cheering distant, most of it coming from below in the quad. But as the hour passed people began to head on home as the day came to a close. It was a long, grueling yet joyous day.

When Videl finally finished her story, Eraser was now able to comment on her friend's experiences and explanations. The two of them were in a very deep conversation. "Wow…that guy must have been a wizard, no doubt. He must have been Gohan! Yeah! There is no one else in the world that could have done what he did."

Videl looked at her friend, contemplating what she had said. She looked away, deeply caught up in her thoughts and still caught up in the memory of the young man's face. "But he was so kind to me." Videl looked back, thinking how he had helped her. Those few moments, they were glued to her mind. "He rescued me Eraser…from those soldiers and those blob things…"

Eraser was a bit taken aback by Videl dream like tone. She had never seen her friend act like this before. "Of course he did…he was trying to steal your heart. You've heard the stories Videl!" Her friend was barely listening, still lost in the cloudy world of her mind. "You are so lucky…any longer and Gohan surely would have eaten it. I don't want to lose my best friend to a monster of a man…"

Videl glanced up at her friend. She may have been surprised by Eraser's harshness towards her savior, but she understood her worries. She also had good reason not to be concerned herself. "He wouldn't have Eraser. I knew I could trust him. Besides, he wouldn't eat the heart of a girl like me. I'm not as beautiful as anyone else…" Eraser waved her words away.

"Don't give me that Videl, you've been in denial about this since we started high school," Eraser stated. She turned to Videl and leaned in closer, making sure she got this through to her. Videl only glanced up at her briefly before turning away again. "You need to be more careful, it's getting more dangerous around here by the day, despite the increase in military defense. I've heard that the Witch of the Waste and Babidi are back on the prowl…" She saw that Videl wasn't looking at her and she tapped her on the shoulder. "Are you even listening?"

Videl looked at her, blinking once. She looked confused, especially since she had drifted out of reality. "Huh…?"

Eraser groaned in annoyance and just shook her head. "Never mind…"

Sighing, Videl got to her feet and picked up her backpack from the ground. She flung it back onto her shoulders and smiled down at her best friend. "Well, I'd better be going then, I just wanted to make sure you were doing OK…" Eraser stood up and nodded. The blonde haired girl then escorted Videl through her apartment and to the front door. When they reached the door, Eraser suddenly stopped her friend. She took Videl's hands into hers and looked into her eyes intently.

"Listen Videl, promise me you will watch yourself from now on, alright," Eraser said loudly so that it got to Videl's ears. Videl smiled and nodded.

"Sure. Come on Eraser, I can take care of myself. And besides, you're not my mother…" Eraser shook her head and jerked her friend's arms to get her next point through.

"I don't think you understand. Who you have just dealt with isn't normal. Gohan and blob like creatures are odds you will easily get tangled in. Oh…" the girl pulled away and placed her hands on her hips. "I just wish you would see reason. Why not settle down from crime work for a while, go out on a date. Sharpener and I have plans for the next weekend, why don't you bring someone you like along with us, it will do you some good." Videl made a spitting sound of disgust to Eraser's words.

"Ugh…no way, the guys are jerks. I don't even like anyone. Well…not until just recently…" Eraser growled and leered at Videl, her expression threatening.

"Videl, don't even think about it. That Gohan is no good," Eraser stated. Videl sighed.

"That's only what you're saying. I know he's alright…"

Eraser rubbed her forehead. She didn't know what else she could say. There was no talking Videl out of this. Until she sets her priorities straight again, there will be more of these episodes to come. She looked up at her friend again and crossed her arms.

"You have a long life ahead of you Videl, but only one. Do something for yourself for once, will you…?"

Videl chuckled and opened the door. "Bye Eraser. See you tomorrow," she replied. With that, she left the apartment. Closing the door behind her, Videl headed down the hall toward the stairwell.

The trip downstairs didn't take long, and soon enough she expelled herself out onto the streets once again. Taking the safest route she could think of, she decided to stay out on the street and not take any detours down any cold, dark alleys. It was getting dark anyhow.

Unbeknownst to her, as Videl walked toward the bus depot, around the corner and down one of the dark alleyways, a mysterious presence lurked. Standing in front and behind a carrier compartment, two blob, black men solidified in shape of human's were standing at attention while a bright, green eye peered out of the window to the compartment in between them. When the eye saw the raven haired girl walk away, the curtains fell and the door opened. Dropping to the floor, a cane lowered a small, golden jar. Tapping it open, black liquid suddenly began flowing towards it via the cracks in the footpath's brickwork. The black slime leapt into the jar in the forms of miniature blob men, the same one's that attacked Videl and her golden haired companion.

When the jar was filled, the cane picked it up and took it back into the compartment. After the door slammed itself shut, the two, purple tuxedo wearing goons picked up the transport box by the two bars, lifting it off the ground. Holding it at waist height, they began marching back down the alley and out of sight.

TO BE CONTINUED…

* * *

_Author's note:_ Well, my second chapter. I had a bit of a problem selecting the characters to use, whether to use Videl or Sophie, but I chose Videl. I'm very passionate about Gohan and Videl, and I'd like to keep it that way. Please review 


	3. Tribulations

**Gohan's Moving Castle**

**Tribulations**

After getting on the earliest possible bus, Videl was once again counting the minutes it would take her to get home. All the while, her mind was still plastered on the memory of what had happened today. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get the image of Gohan off her mind; the mysterious young man who had saved her. Eraser may have been firm about what she had said about him, but it wasn't something for Videl to be too concerned about. It didn't matter anyway. She had a feeling she wouldn't be seeing her savior again, and it sort of made her feel down inside.

Setting aside her feelings of the situation for now, Videl allowed the time to pass by freely on the trip. An hour later, by the time the bus pulled up to her stop right beside her house, it was already dark out. The sun had set over the mountains with a cool change soon to be in order. The wastes beyond the borders of the city were colder and darker then ever.

Getting off the bus, Videl turned and thanked the driver. Then, with a roar of the engine, it drove off. Videl watched the local transport disappear down the street and turn a corner. With a sigh, the raven haired girl then turned to her house. The white walls that surrounded her father's mansion stood high, hiding the massive complex behind it. She knew she was later then ever, but was glad to be home all the same.

Walking round the wall once, she made it to the front gate. With the keys to it in her hand she opened it up and stepped through. Closing the gates behind her she locked them up. Despite their size she was still able to move them easily. Stashing the keys back into her pocket, she then set off the rest of the way up the front entrance path toward her house. The mansion was as glamorous as any other building in the city. Two stories high, marble made interior and exterior, 1940's crafted with three coated paintjob. The garden had the plants handpicked by Videl's mother herself, which was the biggest spectacle out of all the parts making up the residence.

Accessing the building via the oak made, front doors, Videl quickly headed upstairs to her room. When she did, she passed by the maid, who was going down the stairs at the same time. The red headed girl saw Videl pass her and she bowed in respect to her when she did. "Miss Satan, welcome home…"

Videl stopped and turned around, smiling down at her friend. "Oh, hey there Ashleigh…" The maid looked up and smiled as well, her brown eyes glimmering in the lights of the household.

"How was your day Miss? Did everything turn out OK?" Videl nodded in response, despite how exhausted she was.

"Yeah, it was alright. Hey, is my father around?" Videl asked. Ashleigh frowned and shook her head.

"I'm afraid not Videl, your father went out on a business trip; something about a conference with the King. His majesty requested his presence and your father headed off for Kingsbury immediately," Ashleigh replied. Videl frowned and nodded in understanding. Even though this household was more peaceful then ever with her father out, this place was emptier then ever. Videl looked up at Ashleigh again and smiled.

"Well, thanks for telling me. You'd better get some rest now; I'm heading up to do some homework," Videl stated. Ashleigh nodded, seeing Videl turn round and begin walking up the stairs again.

"Of course Miss Satan. Your dinner is ready at your bedside table, and I've prepared a nice hot cup of tea for you, just to help you relax," Ashleigh said, making sure she warned the girl before she disappeared. Videl was pleased.

"Thanks Ashleigh," Videl called, reaching the top of the stairs and turning a corner.

The raven haired girl locked herself into her room and, making sure her door was secure, walked over to her bed. Tossing her backpack onto the couch along the way, the girl slumped down onto the cushiony mattress and let out a groan of relief. Her muscles were really sore, she just didn't know why. It wasn't like one of those days where she hit the gym for a four hour work out session. So she figured it was just one of those days. Tired and too buggered to do any work, the raven haired girl used these precious few minutes to regain her strength and energy.

Rolling over on her bed, the girl laid her arm over her forehead and stared up at the ceiling of her four-poster sleeping area. As if locked in another day dream, Videl just lay there, bathed in silence and completely oblivious to everything around her. The white walls of her room, large cupboard, desk, couches, and plasma screen TV and bookshelf all remained blank in the back of her mind. She didn't even know she had all that stuff here.

Then, she suddenly heard her balcony doors open. The glass double doors swung open with loud creaks, catching the attention of her ears. Immediately Videl sat up and glanced over her shoulder towards her balcony. She saw the doors hanging wide open with the purple curtains being blown around by the breeze seeping through. Narrowing her eyes on the doors she got up and walked over to them. She looked out into the dark edges of her balcony and her garden below, finding nothing out of the ordinary or misplaced. Her eyebrow raised in puzzlement.

"Hmm…that's weird. I could have sworn I locked these doors before I went to school. Maybe Ashleigh unlocked them to get some fresh air and forgot to lock it up afterwards…oh well."

Before Videl could even close her balcony doors shut, she suddenly felt a presence behind her and heard a low chuckle. Spinning around, Videl saw a shadowy person standing on the other side of her room. It turned out to be a really tall, fat lady with quad-triple chins and green eyes, and was wearing a black night-dress, a big out-door hat, necklaces, bracelets, high heels and a purse. Startled, Videl backed off, seeing the lady smiling at her sinisterly.

"My, my…what do we have here; a tacky little brat taking a night time stroll out onto her balcony? You might want to put on a jacket; it's quite chilly out there. Although…I'm guessing all your clothes are tacky as well," the woman said in a deep, almost feminine voice. Videl looked toward both her doors behind her and across the room. Something was definitely wrong.

"Hey! Who are you and how did you get in here? No…wait, scratch that! I'm Videl Satan and this is my house. Pardon my French Miss, but I'm afraid you'll have to leave!" the raven haired girl said loudly, standing up straight and pointing out toward her balcony. "I suggest taking the quickest way out. So if you please…"

The fat woman chuckled, her lipstick toned lips twitching into an evil grin and her eyes widening in a frightening way. "Standing up to the Witch of the Waste…that's plucky…"

Videl gasped, stepping back. Of all the things that could happen to her today, this was the limit. "The Witch of the Waste!" she whispered, startled beyond belief. She finally recognized her.

Suddenly, she heard a strange gurgling and groaning sound behind her. Spinning around, Videl investigated this strange noise, only to find to her horror two more blob like men coming up from behind through the balcony. They remained at the doorway, blocking her escape route. It was her misguidance of attention that things slipped from bad to worse.

Floating off of her feet, the Witch of the Waste suddenly shot straight at the raven haired girl, taking her by surprise. Just as Videl spun around back toward the fat lady, she felt a cold rush of wind and a strange sensation pass through her when the Witch of the Waste herself flew right into her. The solid form of the witch was reduced to a transparent, thin air form. It was a strange technique, but it was nonetheless effective at scaring the hell out of other people. But it wasn't easy to topple Videl. The raven haired girl had taken a blocking stance, one she had taught herself on how to handle charging opponents. However, when she expected a full on tackle, all she felt was a cold wind. In response to this she curled up, hiding her face from the rest of the chilling breeze.

With her objective complete, the Witch of the Waste landed behind Videl, walking the rest of the way out of the room and onto the balcony. Her two servants parted to allow her passage, with the fat witch grinning over at Videl's back. Her eye twitched. "The best part about that spell is your vulnerability, as well as the fact that you can't tell anyone about it. Master Babidi will surely be able to tap at his enemy's weakness now. Send his regards to Gohan…and make sure to give him that message…"

With those words said, the two doors to Videl's balcony slammed shut and the Witch of the Waste was off. Easily getting back into her carrier compartment, the witch and her two servants hurried her and themselves out of the mansion's area and into the dark streets. They disappeared within a minute.

Finally, after several seconds had passed, Videl looked up, moving her arms away from her face. Shaking her head, the girl blinked a couple of times to make sure her eyesight was alright. With her sight perfectly alright, she stood up to full height, at the same time looking down at herself. She felt OK. In fact, she was alright all over. Nothing had happened to her. Her clothes were still trendy, her skin was still smooth, her hair and form was OK with no bones broken or muscles burned away, she was still all herself. She wondered what the big deal was. So much for her brush with the Witch of the Waste…

She was about to lose up her balcony doors and get moving when she suddenly felt something rub at her leg. She let out a shriek and looked behind her. Videl's eyes widened with shock as a silent gasp escaped her lips when she saw what it was. It was a tail, a very furry, brown tail. To make matters worse, it was attached to her! She spun around, making sure it was hers and when it was still attached to her in the end, her fears were confirmed. The brown, furry appendage seemed to wave off its own accord.

"What the…wha…how…aahh…" Videl shouted, panicking. So that's what happened, the witch gave her a tail.

The girl reached down and grabbed it, giving it a pull. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end when she felt a bolt of pain shoot through her. She pulled away without a second thought before collapsing to her knees in agony. Videl groaned and breathed in quickly, her tail relaxing again and the pain subsiding quickly. After shaking off the effects she stood up and went over to her mirror. Looking at the tail through her reflection, she clearly saw that it had pocked right through her shorts and was coming out from underneath her white T-shirt. Now this was weird and scary in a way.

"Oh great," she muttered with a scowl, waving her new appendage around. "Now what am I going to do…?" She then began pacing around her room, muttering to herself. "Hold up Videl…just take a few deep breaths, everything is going to be alright. Just relax, don't panic. Come on…this has to be a bad dream…that's it…it's all a dream…just a dream…DAMN!"

For half an hour the girl continued to pace, passing by her mirror each and every time to check on her new furry friend. It was with every pass did she fall into another fit of hysterics and cursing. This muttering and worrying would continue on for a while now. Kami knows what was going to happen next…

TO BE CONTINUED…


	4. Journey to the Wastes

**Gohan's Moving Castle**

**Journey to the Wastes**

_**Early Morning…**_

_**East City…**_

After a long, grueling night, day finally came in to relieve the sleeping citizens. The sun broke over the horizon, filling the skies with its orangey glow. As time passed and the sun continued to rise, things began to brighten up more. The sky was blue, the landscapes were green again and the city was restored to its utmost, formal glory. The stacks from the North side factories were continuously pouring their smoke into the air. Despite this, it failed to obstruct the glamorous sights of the whole city. That one picture was perfect.

The loud whistle of the train was heard echoing throughout the entire city. One whistle, one chance to track its location. It wasn't very far, but it was close enough to some places to wake a block's work of people. When the time was felt to be right, everyone began getting up. Those who were had night shifts slept in, seeing no point in getting up at this time. Nevertheless, life began to stir in the once dormant town and already people were walking the streets again. The remains of the parade was being cleared up at this very moment, with the Royal Army called away from the town, leaving two infantry divisions, one armored unit, a battleship, five aircraft and a naval division on guard. At least law enforcement was still active.

Most of the commotion was occurring outside the walls of the Satan mansion, whereas the home of the Satan's was relatively quiet. Buses and cars drove by the mansion with people only chancing a glance through the gates to see if they could spot Hercule. Sadly for them, their luck was cut short as the 'great savior of the world' was in Kingsbury, 600 miles North-West of East City. You must have great eyesight to see that far.

Anyway, with all the people up and walking around on the outside world, one particular, raven haired girl was too worried and too 'stubborn' to get up. Up on the second floor in the room of Mr. Satan's daughter, Ashleigh the maid was doing all she can to get the raven haired girl out of bed. So far, the only response she was able to get out of Videl was a groan of protest and a 'leave me alone.' She was becoming really irritated now.

"Come on Miss Satan, you have school today. By Kami, yesterday you were in a better mood," Ashleigh exclaimed, shaking the girl. Videl pulled the covers more over her while turning away.

"Not now Ashleigh, give me a few more minutes. I'll be up and going soon, just give me some more time," Videl groaned her reply. Ashleigh pulled away and placed her hands on her hips. She glared down at the girl with a annoyed expression. Though she wasn't allowed to curse at Videl, it didn't mean she could complain inwardly.

"Fine then, but I want you up, you hear? Your father will be very upset when he hears you're not going to school. Would you like your breakfast packed for you for the trip?" Ashleigh asked. Videl nodded with a very sleepy moan.

"Sure Ashleigh…whatever…"

With a bow and a silent mutter, Ashleigh turned around and marched out of Videl's bedroom. The door slammed itself shut behind her, several pieces of furniture vibrating from the strength of the slam. When Videl heard the door close, she immediately sat up and leapt out of bed. Throwing the covers aside, the raven haired girl then took a detour over to her mirror and checked her backside. As expected, she saw the furry tail still attached to her and waving out about lazily. It flicked sharply several times, indicating an emotion she wasn't experiencing at the moment. She scowled at its reflection.

"What are you so happy about? At least you don't have to worry about your reputation…"

"_What are you talking about, that is you…"_

Shrugging it off Videl smiled and swayed her hips from side to side. After just a few hours she was already gaining control over her extra appendage. She began contemplating the other extra changes she had acquired as well; something she found lifted the better side from the worse side.

"This isn't so bad though. Not only do I feel stronger, but I also feel more confident in my own abilities. I think my reflexes have increased ten fold as well. Wow…" she heard the clatter of dishes downstairs but mistook it to be close by in the hall. She crouched low behind her desk table, glancing over at her door. When she finally realized that it was just Ashleigh working on her breakfast she sighed and smiled. "But I can't stay here…I have to get help. Even though I'm feeling much better, this tail will be quite a bother. People will think I'm a freak with this thing, I'll have to leave town for a while and try to figure out how I'm going to get this off of me…"

With that, Videl got herself ready for the journey she had decided to go on right on the spot. Dressing into a new set of her usually clothes and putting on a purple jacket (not only to keep her warm but also to hide her tail), Videl quickly headed downstairs to collect her stuff. Along the way she managed to acquire a cloak from the cupboard in the hall. It was basically a plain, cloth like material that enhanced as a raincoat. As soon as she hung it over her shoulder, she took off for the stairs. Scampering down it she arrived at the kitchen soon enough. Seeing her bag packed with a small box of three Capsules set up beside it that were obviously hers, she dashed over to it and snatched them up. Ashleigh was a little surprised to see Videl down so soon. Videl thanked Ashleigh before taking off out of the kitchen and out of the house.

With the gates locked up behind her, Videl then took a walk…a very long walk. With her gear flung up behind her in her backpack, the raven haired girl headed out toward the edge of town. Crossing roads and walking down the main roads, Videl headed north towards the wastes.

While she was taking a stroll along some far off footpath not too far from a group of crossroads, she overheard a group of civilians talking about the recent news. Her ears opened up a bit, making sure to catch at least a hint of what was going on outside of the city so she knew not where to go. The three workers were looking at the newspapers in short shock and dismay.

"Have you heard here? The Southern Kingdom is saying that their prince is missing!" the first guy said loudly, pointing at the front page. The second worker wearing a bowler cap nodded and poked at the sixth paragraph.

"Yeah, and they're blaming us! This is outrageous. They said that they are dispatching our military forces to the South to set up trenches and other defenses to stop the Southern armies from invading," he stated. The third man clenched his fists, throwing them out to the side.

"This is insane. The Southern army is so big! There is no way we can win!"

"Well, we'd better hope their prince turns up soon," the first guy said again, cutting in. Videl's ears twitched with her brow furrowing. That was all she needed to hear. All she had to do was stay as far away from the Southern cities as possible. And so from there, she continued on trek. Weaving through buildings and the city streets, she was sure to keep out of sight from curious eyes. Hopefully the Witch of the Waste was long gone.

She faced a couple of problems on her way though. But they were nothing too serious or too complicated to bypass. It was just a simple matter of getting through the border guards and asking for a ride out of the city. A local farmer and his son had just finished shopping and restocking for the incoming month, and were just heading back out to their farm. Videl took this as the perfect opportunity for a quick ride out.

"Sure, where're you heading Miss Satan?" the bearded man asked, looking down from his seat up front on the cart. Videl smiled and nodded out toward the mountains.

"Just a little ways further then where you're going," she replied. The farmer smiled and nodded, gesturing to the back of the carts. Piles of hay, baskets and crates had been mounted on the cart. It looked as though there wasn't any room left. Fortunately, Videl's luck continued to drive.

"Alrighty then. There's some room in the back, hop in…"

Well, that was easier then she thought. Anyway, hopping onto the back of his cart, Videl sat back and enjoyed the ride. The horse did the rest of the work and began towing them out of the city and toward the wastes. Videl wasn't concerned about anything else but getting as far away from here as possible. Ever since last night she was confirmed that stories of magic and creatures did exist, but that barely shook her up, now that she was already touched by a curse. If she was to come across anything again, she would handle it herself. After the farmer arrived at his stop, he let Videl off with the girl thanking him in advance.

Throwing the cloak over her shoulders she began her hike up into the mountain like hills surrounding the city. This was just her first few steps into her long, perilous journey. Before she was out of earshot, the farmer called out to her.

"You're crazy doing this Miss Satan, there's nothing but weird and scary stuff out there. The witches and wizards are also something to worry about," the man called, his pitch fork jabbing at the ground. Videl waved over her shoulder while continuing her walk.

"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind…"

The wife of the farmer had come out to help him unload the supplies. When she heard that Videl Satan was heading out into the wastes, she was deeply surprised. Watching Videl continue on with her trek, the farmer's wife turned to her husband with a puzzled and worried expression. "She's going to the wastes by herself?" The farmer turned to his wife and nodded.

"Yeah, she said she was looking for her younger sister, I don't know." He turned back in the direction Videl was heading off in. "I didn't even know she had a younger sister…"

So there she was, hiking up endless hills and mountains. It was way cooler out here then it was in the city. The air was clearer and thinner too. After about a kilometer or so, Videl began to feel the effects of exhaustion. She panted slightly as she climbed up a really steep hill, this one being the fifth one she had to climb in order to get over.

All throughout her hike she kept on glancing at her wrist watch. It was a surprise how fast time was. It had taken her over two hours to get to the edge of the city and two more as she continued venturing into the wastes. After a while her legs began to get tired and she had a rest on an embedded boulder in the side of a hillside. Getting comfortable the raven haired girl then dug into some late breakfast. Ashleigh had packed her some rice cakes and buns, as well as lunch and a small dinner if she was late. Little did the maid know was that Videl didn't plan on going back any time soon.

Sitting halfway up the hill the girl looked out over the landscapes she had just crossed. The town sat at the base of the wastes, gleaming like a jewel in the sun. The river that cut through East city and through the mountains sparkled brightly, supplying the people with fresh water. Videl was relieved she had brought several bottles with her. As for the landscapes beyond the city and around her, it was beautiful. People may have seen it as a real dangerous place, but so far she didn't find any beasts or animals. Maybe they were just myths after all.

It was so peaceful and quiet up here, with the sounds of the city so distant. The mountains surrounding her were snow caped and high. They reached up into the sky; so high that they cut chunks into the clouds. It was clear blue, with no signs of rains or storms. The mists that usually clouded the wastes had lifted, which was a good thing. At least she didn't have to suffer under intense colds or would have to blindly make her way through one of those thick hazes. She sighed with satisfaction after finishing one of the rice cakes.

"Man…who said hiking wasn't easy. The air is so thin up here it's hard to breathe. I bet it's even worse up at the top of those mountains," Videl whispered to herself. She wrapped her jacket more securely around her. The cloak she had brought along was folded up and shoved into her backpack. She found very little use for it at the moment.

Packing up her food into a handkerchief, the raven haired girl put the rest of her breakfast away. After a sip of her open up drink bottle, Videl rested back and looked around her. There wasn't much around her, just a lot of grass, bushes and rocks. The wastes were practically clear. Glancing to her left, her eyes then suddenly fell upon one of the bushes. She blinked.

If she didn't know any better, she could have sworn the bush had moved. Getting up, she quickly took a fighting stance. Something was in there, she didn't know what. The bush shook again, this time for sure. Videl scowled and narrowed her eyes further on the shrubby plant. After several more shakes, the bush suddenly stopped, a thick stick poking out of it. Videl raised an eyebrow and dropped out of her fighting stance, relaxing her muscles.

Curiosity getting the better of her, Videl walked over to the bush. "Hmm…what is that? It can't be an animal…"

Walking up to the bush, the girl took a closer look at the stick. Seeing it twitch slightly, Videl decided to get a better look. Grabbing the stick, she tried to pull it out. The stubborn thing didn't even budge. Failing to get it out with one hand, the girl then grabbed it with two hands and began tugging at it. The stick moved, but it didn't break loose. Videl knew something big was to follow and so she tried a different approach.

"Man, this is one stubborn branch…" she muttered, rubbing her gloved hands together.

Taking a more firm stance, she gripped the stick tightly and began pulling on it as hard as she could. With a growl and a mighty pull of strength, the branch freed itself. What followed startled Videl out of her skin and she leapt back. The branch she had been holding suddenly leapt out of her hands and stood straight up on its own. It appeared to be attached to something and Videl was afraid it was an animal, but as it turned out, it was something completely different. The large branch was actually a pole with a second pole crossing across it near the top, making a lower case t. The two cross over poles also wore pants, a jacket, T-shirt, bowtie, white gloves and a top hat.

When she saw what it was, Videl sighed in relief and placed her hand on her chest. The thing gave her quite a start. She smiled up at it. "Oh…you're just a scarecrow. I thought you were one of those blob men things…" She then suddenly made a startling discovery. Looking it up and down, the girl saw that it was standing up on its own. The only scarecrows she knew that stood up on their own were ones embedded in the ground. This one seemed to have a good sense of balance, as if it were…alive? She looked back up at its face hidden underneath its hat. "How are you standing on your own like that?"

The scarecrow said nothing and just stood there, waving about in the breeze. Its clothes blew wildly, its pebble eyes shining and stitched mouth smiling. It also had a pipe stuck in its mouth, something that you wouldn't find in your everyday scarecrows. When Videl took a second glance at its head, she pulled back, a little disgusted. There was nothing appalling about its facial features or clothes, but Videl saw what made up its head.

"Your head's a turnip, I never liked turnips. In soup, yes, but on there own, no. Of all the vegetables…oh well, at least your not upside-down now," Videl stated with a small smile. She nodded curtly to the scarecrow and turned around, heading back over to her stuff. Putting on her cloak and gathering up her backpack, she flung it over her shoulder. After which she waved over to the scarecrow and so, began her long walk through the mountains again. "So long…"

The scarecrow stared after the girl, as if dazed. Well, what do you expect after being pulled up? He must have been stuck there for a while. Anyway, the field watcher remained stationary where it was, seeing the raven haired girl walk off into the distance and disappear over a cluster of hills. When it saw the girl leave, it tilted its head slightly and started hopping after her. Standing on one pole with no legs, there was little it could do except hop.

* * *

Videl shivered and wrapped her cloak more tightly around her in hopes that it would stop the gales of wind rushing into her. She had been walking for another couple of hours now and the sun was beginning to dip into the afternoon. In her travel from the point of her rest stop she had walked up and over three more hills, a majority of them steeper then the last ones. The path she was following was dirt ridden and a bit narrow. It zigzagged up the hillsides, leading deeper and deeper into the wastes. It was a miracle such a thing existed.

After a little while longer, the girl began shivering with the cold and glanced behind her. She groaned in frustration and stopped, seeing that East city was still in sight. She gritted her teeth in annoyance.

"Man…this is really hard. It's so cold and I can still see the city, I've barely moved," Videl muttered. The winds whipped at her hair, taking her cloak with the flow of the gale. Her backpack continued to hang onto her. After all the clothes she had slipped onto her the cold was still able to penetrate her jacket.

Looking over the hillsides and over the mountains, Videl began making out distinguishable points. She couldn't make anything out of the mountains since they were all relatively the same height and diameter, and the hills seemed to roll on for hours on end. Looking up into the skies, Videl saw to her surprise that a grey cloud formation had drifted in. It was getting really thick, like smoke from factory funnels. Her brow furrowed and eyes narrowed as she looked straight up. Her body swayed with the wind.

"Looks like a storm is brewing… boy, it's going to be even tougher getting over these mountains," Videl said. She looked toward the path ahead of her. She couldn't see anything from where she stood since the hill carried on up for several hundred more meters. On either side she could see mountains and other hills stretching on, but from here, nil. Maybe if she got to the top she could get a better view of things. This was the highest hill she was forced to climb so far.

Videl scowled. "But where do I go from here? Where am I going? Gee, I should have saved this place for last. Oh well Videl, you've gotten this far…can't turn back now." She looked down at her watch. For a brief moment she could have sworn she saw a flake of snow float by, but maybe it was just her imagination. When she looked at her watch, she cursed. _"Damn, it's already 3:45…this really isn't easy after all…"_

Throwing her arm back down to her side she looked up the path she would have to take. Taking in a deep breath of air she frowned with determination. "Well…no use standing around. I may as well find a place to set up camp…"

She felt her tail quiver underneath her jacket and she looked down. Placing her hand where the tail began, she found that it was in a very uncomfortable position. It was squashed up against her backside and was scratching her badly. Frowning, the girl let out a sigh and lifted her cloak a bit. With albeit relief, she allowed her tail to fall freely and shake itself off from cramps. The raven haired girl couldn't help but smile.

"Who said having a tail isn't easy either…"

A sudden tapping sound caught her attention, distracting her from her previous thoughts. She glanced behind her over her shoulder and raised an eyebrow, ignoring the raging winds and cold. Staring down the path she had taken, Videl saw the familiar form of the sticky, tall and skinny scarecrow hopping up the path and heading towards her. Surprisingly, it was unheeded by the fierce winds blowing across the hills and was showing no sign of tiring out.

Videl was a little worried about having the thing following her and waved at it, only this time to tell it to go away. "Hey, quit following me! There's no need to thank me, you don't owe me a thing," Videl shouted, her voice carrying across the hills. The scarecrow caught it and stopped in its tracks, coming to stand some way down the path. It swayed on the spot, looking up at the girl with that ever peculiar smile. "Listen, I don't mean to be rude but I am in no mood of being followed. I'm sure you've got some kind of spell on you and I have had more then enough of witches and spells. So if you please, don't follow me…"

With that, the girl nodded her head and spun around. As fast as she could, she began her walk again. The quickened pace in her hike didn't seem to make things better for her. Because of the thin air, she became exhausted faster then usual. By the time she got to the top of the hill, she was panting hard. As a result, she nearly collapsed to her knees. Bending over, she caught her breath, her breathing raspy and uncontrolled. The sun was beginning to hide itself behind a mass of clouds and the mountains on the horizon. The sky turned a bright orange and the warmth dropped even more.

The scarecrow that had been following Videl ignored Videl's plight to be left alone and eventually reached her at the top of the hill. He was unexhausted and was still standing tall. It swayed on the spot beside the girl, looking down at her with curiosity. Videl sighed and looked up at the walking stick, seeing it staring at her. She wondered how a cursed thing could still have life in it. Well, she guessed it was reasonable, since everything seemed to be messed up around here.

After finally catching her breath and wiping her brow of any sweat, she stood up straighter and stretched herself out. She smirked up at the scarecrow and spoke. "You don't take no for an answer do you…?" The scarecrow just stood there. Even though Videl received no physical or facial response she knew it must have been listening to her and she just chuckled. "Well, at least you're not that much of a bother. I know that you're not an animal, I also know for a fact that you can't talk either. I'll just call you Turnip-head…how does that sound?"

The scarecrow leapt up and down on the spot, its head bouncing on the stick. Videl laughed. She guessed it rather liked the name.

"Well, at least I know you don't intend to do any harm. Say…since you know this place more then I do, do you think you can run off and find me a place to crash for the night. It's getting really cold out here, and the wastes really aren't the safest places to be," Videl said. She asked it kindly, which means she was meaning well. The scarecrow bounced on the spot a couple of times before turning round and hopping off in the direction it had come. Videl grinned and waved after it. By the time it had disappeared over another hill beyond her sight, the girl turned around and began walking again.

"Heh…that may have been a bit mean, but at least he isn't following me anymore," Videl exclaimed quietly, beginning her long hike again.

The wind seemed to have picked up a bit more. The cold essence of weather wiped at her clothes, tossing the cloak that covered her about. Deciding that it was for the better and that she had her health to be concerned about, she lifted the hood of her purple jacket and pulled it over her head. She added up the coverings by slipping the hood of the cloak she wore over as well, tightening it with the strings. It may have seemed a little bit weird, but at least she was a bit warmer. The wind grew fiercer.

For at least an hour longer she walked on, biting down against the harsh winds. She struggled not only against the hillsides but also against the winds. Her cloak lashed out, being pulled along with the wind. It seemed to weigh her down all the more, holding her back. Looking around, she saw that the hillsides had thinned out a bit. She also took note that the air had thinned out a bit as well. The grass was shorter and grew less around here. Now the place was turning into a wasteland. She presumed it got its name from the barren likeness surrounding the hillsides. The wind may have been cold, but it was also dry. It was an odd combination indeed.

As she continued marching on through the terrain, she became aware of a strange, rumbling noise. Looking up and around at the hills around her, her brow furrowed and face clenched with suspicion. There was nothing around for miles, and she finally lost sight of the city. So what could be making that terrible sound? A gust of wind hit the place she was standing, tearing at her at a wild speed. It didn't move her though, but it clued her in on what could be making that machine like sound. Looking up, the girl sensed quite a large, unseen presence floating high above.

When her eyes drew itself up toward the skies high above, drifting above the clouds was a giant, blimp like machine. It was definitely blimp shaped, but it was armor plated, had fan like wings that beat as fast as humming bird wings and lining its hull were massive 75mm caliber anti-tank guns and 250 land flattening guns. It streamlined like a boat, with outer fins holding it above the ground. Videl's eyes widened in shock at the sight of the gigantic war machine, her thoughts whirling as she captured the image of it.

For some time the ship continued flying on above her, high into the range where aircraft flew. It seemed impossible that such a giant piece of machinery could keep itself airborne like. Videl didn't have time to think about the possibilities though. Within moments, the cloud cover pulled over and blocked all view of it as it flew out of sight, concealing itself.

Videl's mouth quivered. "What the…? A Saxon Mk IV Air-Battleship! What's a massive Northern military dreadnaught class airship doing all the way out here?" The wind picked up again, this time with a more moist touch. It was as cold as opening a freezer or steeping barefoot out on a particular cold morning.

Videl gasped and tucked herself up into her jacket and cloak. The winds that wiped away at her this time were colder and fiercer then ever. To top it off, it was freezing!

"Ugh…why does it get so cold up here? I'm wearing five layers of clothes, yet the wind cuts into me like a knife through butter," Videl growled, expressing her thoughts of the situation. It had been hours now of walking through this hell of a wasteland and she was breaking.

Under the strain of ice cold conditions, Videl walked on. She didn't know what was worse: walking through the snow back in the city during winter or this. Shaking her head, the girl tried to keep her head clear. If she didn't know any better this weather was making her delirious. The sound of the battleship was long gone now, replaced by the haunting breeze of the wild winds of the wastes.

For a few more minutes Videl continued walking, still fighting against the headwinds. This place was definitely unpredictable, holding all sorts of surprises. The conditions were atrocious. She was unable to think for long though about the wastes anymore when she suddenly became aware of a vaguely familiar scent. Looking up, Videl sniffed, her nose twitching with each sniff. The air was warm and carried a certain tone of smoke. That or her nose has definitely sharpened.

"Hmm…it smells like a fire. Maybe there's a cabin nearby…" Videl exclaimed quietly, her tail waving more frequently underneath her cloak and jacket.

Determined to find out what that smell was, as well as being desperate to find shelter, Videl picked up the speed. The wind and cold was all but ignored, disposed of and sent to rot in the back of her mind.

Trekking up one of the small hills donning the wastes, she reached the top. The path seemed to have stretched itself out a bit more, which meant easier walking. As soon as she reached the top, she stopped dead in her tracks. The vibrations in the ground, the sound of gears grinding and the evidence of large machinery at work suddenly became known to her through her sharp ears. Her eyes widened slowly as something massive climbed into view from the other side of the large hill many meters ahead of her.

Videl's mouth opened up like her eyes, her expression completely frozen with shock. The rest of her body wouldn't respond either. Heavy stomping, crunching and earth shaking footsteps accompanied the hissing and whirs of machinery as the walking hulk came into view. Videl's eyes followed the thing upwards as it suddenly towered over her and the rest of the hills surrounding her. The giant machine was covered with balls of armor, chunks of houses and piled together with all sorts of other objects. Her first thought of what it was sort of came in the form or an armor plated monster, but it was way different then that.

Hopping faster then the giant machine, also accompanying it over the hill but keeping ahead of the beast was the familiar scarecrow Videl had helped out before. It hopped toward Videl quickly, bouncing around her before coming to a stop beside her. Videl's eyes tore away from the walking machine and turned to the scarecrow standing not to far from her. She scowled.

"You Turnip head! That's Gohan's castle! That's not what I meant when I asked for a place to stay!" Videl shouted. Turnip-Head took it lightly with no response.

The castle walked on, towering over the pair. It seemed as if it would continue on this pace, but a second later, it suddenly came to a sharp stop. There were echoing clangs and a jerk like clank as the hulking bulk of a castle stopped. The funnels and armored makeup of the gigantic machine's form shuddered and shifted, its momentum continuing but stabilizing as soon as it lost movement. There were loud hisses as gushes of white steam shot out of the spaces dotting the castle. To add to it, the front of the castle which resembled the face of a fish leaned forward and opened up a gaping mouth, a metallic tongue prodding out with its deep throat letting out a discomforting groan. Videl blinked in shock as she and Turnip head looked up at the beast.

"Well, would you look at that, they call this a castle. I call it a monster," Videl said, confining it in Turnip head.

As if the giant castle had just taken a rest, it suddenly began moving again. Clanging and gushing out a bit more steam, the giant machine began its grueling walk again. Its massive, clawed feet pounded the ground with each step, remarkably keeping the heavy castle off the ground. It marched over the shocked pair, both of them passing unknown underneath it. Videl let out a startled yell and stepped away when a chunk of the castle hanging low underneath it came chopping by. Turnip-head followed her, but as soon as the castle marched by, the scarecrow followed it.

Videl was rather surprised by Turnip-head's speed and followed him with wide eyes. When she saw the friendly scarecrow begin bouncing by what looked to be a way in, the raven haired girl blinked and nodded in understanding. The tail like, thick part of the castle that hung behind it (and also nearly knocked Videl and Turnip-head down) was a doorway entrance, similar to a ramp but designed to suit the rest of the castle. It had steps leading up to a small porch, a lamp hanging above it from a metallic wired arm and a green door lit up by the small fire light. It was a small display, nothing too fancy.

As the castle continued walking away, Videl gave chase. She ran after it, with Turnip-head hopping easily after it.

"Hey, wait up!" Videl shouted, running down hill and after the doorway. It took her some time to catch up with the castle as it descended down the hill, but she eventually grabbed onto the railings. With a mighty pull and push of effort, she leapt up onto the small porch, grabbing the railings with both hands. As a result of her sprint, the hoods of her jacket and cloak pulled free, her hair now wiping in the winds. All the while Turnip-head bounced after the castle, watching over Videl carefully, as if making sure she didn't fall off.

"Boy, that was tough," Videl panted. She still wasn't used to the altitude. After a quick breather, Videl reached up and grabbed the door handle. Pulling it down, she pushed the door open. The wooden obstacle creaked open easily.

Cautiously, Videl took a peak into the dark interior beyond the door. As soon as she did so, she was met with a staircase leading up to a unknown room. A warm, yellow glow shone just above the staircase, arousing Videl's curiosity and adventurous side. After careful observations and checks for anything strange, Videl turned around and smiled at the scarecrow still hopping after the castle.

"It's nice and warm in there. I guess I'll go on in. I don't really have much of a choice. Either go into Gohan's castle or risk freezing to death out here," Videl said. She smiled happily. Surprise overtook her delighted expression when she saw Turnip-head begin to fall back. She figured the scarecrow had lost breath and was now getting tired. So there was a limit to the scarecrow's energy. The raven haired girl waved after him, seeing him pull back and stop a distance away. "It was a pleasure meeting you, even if you are my least favorite vegetable. Thanks for all your help! Take care Turnip-head!"

With a final nod of appreciation, Videl opened the door fully and stepped into the castle. Making sure she had pulled all of herself in, she closed the door behind her. It clicked itself shut. Then, as if her ears had lost their abilities, all the rumbling, pounding and other loud noises produced by the castle were silenced.

As of now, she was inside the mysterious Gohan's Moving Castle…

TO BE CONTINUED…


	5. A Place to Stay

**Gohan's Moving Castle**

**A Place to Stay**

_**Inside Gohan's Castle**_

"_Oh well…at least it's warmer in here",_ Videl thought to herself as she cautiously climbed the stairs and into the first room of the castle. Before she was fully up and inside the room, she made sure the cost was clear above, her head poking out of the stairway. Her eyes looked around a couple of times, taking in the first glimpses of the inside of the castle. Unable to see everything just yet but was for certain that there was no danger, Videl fully exited the stairway shaft and stepped into the room.

The floorboards creaked under her weight as she slowly walked through the dim, her eyes trailing left and right along the dusty surrounding furniture lying scattered.

The room was basically wide to suit family purposes. The floor was carpeted in the middle with the surrounding walls painted daisy yellow. There was a good quality couch thrown up back and a second staircase leading up to a second, unknown floor. There was also a big, dinner table set up far away enough from the couch with smaller chairs set up around it. The table wasn't elegant and clear though since it was piled up with at least a ton of books, paper work and artwork. There was also a bookshelf and plate display cabinet behind the dinner table, dusty and untidy. To her left there was a large sink with some dirty dishes but a lot of cleaned up ones. Utensils and other cooking equipment were hung up around that area too. There were kitchen cabinets and tables stacked with articles of food. There were no freezers, ovens or fridges, everything homemade with no electronics. A little ways further down the wall, there was a large fireplace with a pile of long burnt up ash. There was also a small, orange flame slowly flickering away on a burnt ridden piece of firewood, threatening to burn out. There were framed pictures and photos hanging around the room, accompanied by other, gold encrusted lights that were currently switched off.

Videl only had to look around once to capture every detail. She could tell from sight and scent that the entire place was filthy. It was dusty, jam packed with cob-webs and all sorts of stuff dumped everywhere. A second couch (detailed red and gold) was stuffed underneath the stairs. Videl thought it was nice setup, minus the mess.

Seeing the fire burning warmly invited her over. A chair was positioned in front of it, offering one person a seat. Videl took it before anyone else could. It was after she had taken the seat did she finally feel the effects of exhaustion. Her bones creaked and her muscles relaxed with almost cramping results. Her hoods were already off, but because of her tiredness she couldn't be bothered taking off her jacket and cloak. A breath of air escaped her lips freely, giving evidence to how relieved she was. She lifted her arms, raising her hands towards the fire.

It was surprising that this small fire could produce such warmth, especially since it warmed up the entire room. But, seeing that it was on the verge of dying, Videl came up with an easy solution. There was a box of firewood sitting beside the fireplace with a slot above it. She assumed that when more wood was gathered it would cut them up cleanly and send it down the slot so that it landed in the box. Pretty useful; she just wondered how the wood was actually gathered. It was a smart castle so it must have developed some way of gathering wood.

Finding enough strength to get up, Videl managed to get three more blocks of firewood and toss it onto the fire. With that settled, she sat herself back down, all the while looking around at the mess lying about. She couldn't help but comment on her dark surroundings. "Man…what a dump. Some castle this is. When I pictured a place of royalty this is the exact opposite…" A couple of spiders were nestled in a corner, watching her every move while weaving intricate webs to catch bugs. Videl cringed at the creepy pests, tearing her eyes away and towards the table. Of all the places in the house, why stuff a bunch of quills and ink here? She sighed and went back to gazing at the fire. She placed her hands on her lap and tucked her neck into the warmth of her jacket. She could feel herself begin to drift into sleep.

"Well…at least there aren't any rats in this place…that's a good thing…"

When she looked back into the fireplace, she saw that the flame had grown and had risen. Her eyes began to close, the drowsiness she felt overtaking her and pulling her into a dream world. If she wasn't so sleepy she would have noticed a set of eyes appear floating in the fire. The white orbs with black pupils blinked and stared up at her with curiosity. The raven haired girl still didn't notice, not until the fire suddenly spoke, a crack of ash leaving its red hot blaze.

"I don't envy you lady, but that is one mean curse," the fire said loudly. Videl heard this and gasped, jumping on the spot. Her eyes widened in shock as she stared into the fire, seeing some sort of entity form out of it. Fiend or not, the fire was literally alive. Not only were their eyes floating in it but also a mouth. The fire chuckled. "I've had seven years experience with these sorts of things. I can recognize a cursed person from a mile away."

Videl blinked, gaping. "D-did you…just…speak to me…?" The fire, though a little irritated that the girl wasn't responding to him in the way he expected just took it in stride and continued talking.

"You know curses and spells are hard to break, you're going to have a very hard time with that one. Heh…it's beyond skin deep too. Not only has it given you a tail but it's changed your blood, muscle strength, endurance and spiked up your intelligence. Boy…what luck…"

Videl was still bewildered beyond belief. Of all the things she has seen, this just beats it all. But she hasn't seen weird, not just yet. "Y-you did speak to me…" The fire laughed.

"Of course I did. I'm guessing that you've never seen a talking fire before. Oh well, that's not what's interesting me. I presume that the spell won't let you talk about it either…figures."

The raven haired girl tilted her head, looking at the fire curiously. "A-Are you…Gohan…?" The fire snorted, growing larger with sparks and red bolts of fire flickering out of him. He lit up the room all the more with that little stunt.

"No, I'm an extremely powerful fire demon named CALCIFER!" the fire shouted, his voice deep and booming. He chuckled and returned back to his original size. "Heh…I just like to do that sometimes…"

When Videl heard what the fire actually was, she grinned cheerfully and leaned forward. Her expression was all the more eager. "A fire demon…hey, that means you will be able to break my curse!" she exclaimed. The fire made a shrugging gesture, only to have more heat flicker out of him.

"Maybe, maybe not…it all depends," the fire replied teasingly. He then grinned and nodded to her. "Listen, let's be fair here. If you can break the spell that's on me, then I can break the spell that's on you…got it?" Videl smirked, looking at him more suspiciously.

"If you're really a demon then how do I know I can trust you? From what I've been through and what I have heard, your type is very untrustworthy. Will you promise to help me if I help you?" Videl asked. Calcifer flickered on the spot, his face scrunching up in a very discomforting way.

"Ehh…I don't know lady, we demons don't make promises," Calcifer stated blankly. Videl frowned and fell back into her chair. She was very taken aback by Calcifer's attitude and words. Guess she was right about demons, despite her lack of knowledge about them.

"Then go find someone else who will help you. I don't like anyone who doesn't help someone else in return," Videl replied. Calcifer shouted in protest, his entire form flaring up.

"COME ON! You should feel sorry for me! That SPELL keeps me locked up in this castle and Gohan treats me like I am his slave and burns me up. He's got to keep everything in order. Move the castle, keep the water hot, keep it cold, keep the rooms warm, control the ventilation and cooling, control the weight distribution, relocate, keep the charms up…its like this everyday! In and out…non-stop! Always on the move! Have you ever tried moving a castle?!" Calcifer shouted. He was really venting his feelings on his situation. It was obvious he had gone through a lot.

Videl smiled, nodding in understanding. She managed to catch everything Calcifer said, even if she was close to falling asleep. "Man…sounds rough…"

"You bet!" Calcifer shouted, his flaring now dropping to a controlled level. He sighed. "Alright then, let's make a deal. If you can figure out how to break this…thing…you know, with Gohan; then you can break my spell. And after that…I can easily break the spell that's on you. So…" Calcifer smiled at her, "…what do you say?"

Videl grinned, nodding to the demon with sparkling eyes. "It's a deal. I help you…and you help me. I guess I can hang around for a while and figure out what is up with you two. It shouldn't be too hard," she exclaimed.

Calcifer snorted. "Bah…easy for you to say; moving this castle is no walk in the park. Hey…if you want to stay, you may as well pitch in and help with the work load. For starters, you can take up house tending and cleaning. This castle is a mess. Being the new cleaning lady should be convincing enough for Gohan. He doesn't take too kindly to uninvited guests, just so you know," Calcifer added. Videl nodded, letting out a yawn.

"I'll keep that in mind," the raven haired girl replied. She looked around the room sleepily, seeing the state it was in. She looked back towards Calcifer. "Is it alright if I sleep on one of the couches? I need to get some shut eye…"

Calcifer nodded with a sigh. "Sure…but don't dirty it…the place is already a dump…" Videl thanked him with a smile before walking sluggishly over to the couch against the wall. The one underneath the staircase wasn't looking too advertising since cobwebs hung over it underneath the stairs. Taking off her bag she hung it on the wall hook beside the couch and, not bothering to take off her jacket and cloak, fell right onto the couch. As soon as she crashed onto the cushiony surface, she was out like a light. Calcifer blinked.

"Hello! Hey lady…hey! HEY-HEY-HEY! HEY…hey! Grrhh…let me just…get over there…gah! (Sigh) Some big help you're going to be…sleeping on the job…"

While Videl slept and Calcifer continued to mutter to himself, the castle moved across the wastes, its gears grinding and machinery pulsing. The steam that escaped its joints hissed loudly with the piles of armor and buildings mounted on its back creaking agonizingly.

Night time was at its fullest. The stars were gleaming brightly, the moon was full and the breeze was cool.

It was going to be a long, peaceful night…

TO BE CONTINUED…


	6. Meet the Family

**Gohan's Moving Castle**

**Meet the Family**

_**Morning…**_

Up North at the ports of Haven, a massive military movement was underway. The ports of Haven were playing host to an entire naval armada, made up of super-dreadnaught class battleships, heavy cruisers, medium cruisers, heavy destroyers and Nevada-class battleships. Packed with the largest caliber guns ever, these high powered war machines had their sails set for the oceans to the South where they planned to attack the advancing Southern armies. The presence they had was both intimidating and fierce. No one would dare strike an entire convoy of super-class war machines like these.

Horns sounded and music bellowed over the ports as the ships left port. Along the decks crowded hundreds of sailors with triple the amount of soldiers. The battleships were also escorting freighters that carried thousands more of the nations soldiers, including tanks, horses and other armored vehicles. The citizens of Port Haven were amassing at the docks and jetties to see the mighty ships off. They cheered on their nation's armies and naval forces as they parted for the furthest reaches of the world. Most people would consider war as an adventure. They knew very little of what they were going up against, but they were going to enjoy it none the less.

As the powerful dreadnaughts sailed into the horizon within the hour, the crowds cheering and shouting began to silence. Soon enough, the battleship convoy was gone, leaving the port with only patrol boats to defend it. Still, everyone could see that it was very peaceful here.

Now that the ships and the battle ready armies in the region were gone, the people of the port town began going about their business once more. With their flags lowered down and the mood of celebration out of their system, it was time to head back to work. In their hundreds, people headed on home. The normal sounds of the day returned, the swooshing of the sea, the squeaking of the seagulls and the chugging of the fishing boats moving about port. It seemed as though there was no war going on at all.

With the majority of soldiers gone off to war, it left the homeland rather undermanned. But there were still signs of soldiers on guard here. Regular army troops who were ordered to stand guard over the city were marching about bored out of their minds. There were also marines too, their soul purpose here being lookouts. Aside from the law enforcement, there were a couple of tanks, anti-aircraft crews at their posts and cavalry guardsmen. It was too quiet for their taste, what with their comrades gone off to war.

Now that the commotions had settled, the mayor of the town was free to move about. Carrying on with his daily tasks, he began hiking up one of the steepest hills in town. The streets were virtually empty up here, which was a good thing, but the flamboyant, suit wearing old man was still finding it hard to get up the hill. Escorted by two North Kingdom regular army soldiers, the mayor approached a double-story store. It was a little run down and certainly didn't look like much. Even so, this was definitely his destination.

Stopping in front of the chipped door, the mayor fixed up his suit and knocked on the door. Above the door's frame was a worn out sign, but it clearly read _'The Great Wizard Jenkins'._

After knocking on the door, the mayor waited…

* * *

_**The other side of the door…**_

Videl was silently sleeping on the couch, still wrapped up in her cloak and jacket she wore last night. Some strands of black hair hung delicately over her face as she slept; her breathing normal and ki relaxed. She hadn't slept so long in ages. It must have been from her exhausting ordeal yesterday. Whatever the case, the girl continued to sleep even though bright sunlight hit her face, shooting through the open windows.

After some more time had dragged on, there was a knock on the door. The sound failed to wake Videl from her slumber. It was only the second, longer time to knocking went on did it finally get to her. With the echoing of the door forcing her out of her dream sequence, the raven haired girl's eyes fluttered open and she slowly lifted her head off of the comfy couch arm she was nestled against.

Videl adjusted to the light of the room, with things still a little fuzzy. She really wasn't used to waking up like this, especially this early after a long day of walking. Shaking her head to clear it, Videl finally caught the sharp sounds that had woken her in the first place. Her head and eyes turned towards the door of the castle, falling on the stair shaft just someway across the room. The knocking kept on coming, making the girl blink.

Memories of what happened yesterday flooded back to her, making her think. Wasn't she on a moving castle? If so how can there be someone knocking on the door? Was it the postman?

Before she could think anymore then from the point she reached, the girl heard the sound of footsteps overhead and gasped. Turning round, her eyes lay centered on the stairs. Through the small gap somewhere round the ceiling where the staircase disappeared, she saw a pair of legs dashing down the stairs. If this was the owner, he or she would sure be mad to see her here. She had to come up with something fast in order to avoid interrogation.

Unable to think fast enough, the girl did the quick and simple. She rested her head back on its original placement and closed her eyes, pretending to still be asleep. She did this in the nick of time too. The owner of the small legs came into view, rushing down the flight of stairs and appearing in the room quick haste. The instant the boy entered the lounge room he spotted the girl lying on the couch and rushed over to her. Leaning over, he took a closer look into her face, his eyes widened with surprise and curiosity.

"Hey, who's this lady," the spiky haired boy asked. He looked over at Calcifer sitting calmly in his fireplace. "Never mind…what door Calcifer?"

"Port Haven door!" the flickering fire answered. The spiky, black haired boy nodded before running over to the dining table. Along the way he could help but ask himself how that girl got into the castle. As soon as the boy left the side of the couch, Videl's left eye opened and followed the little scamp. She stopped faking her sleep-breathing and just went on to regular breathing. She believed it was convincing enough.

From then on in, Videl watched the boy rush around, getting ready to open the door. All the while, she wondered what the fuss was about. Anyway, the spiky haired seven year old made a grab for what looked like a small cloak lying on the table. Tossing the stuff off of it, he pulled it free and flung it on. It covered him completely, including the money sack he had tied around his belt. With the cloak firmly fastened, the boy then pulled the hood over his head. When he lowered his hands, he pulled them over his face, where he pulled off an amazing trick. A grey, silvery beard dropped down to his waste, covering his face from the nose down. The skin around his eyes also aged many years, making him look like a small, old man. Because of the cloak that covered his body, you couldn't tell that he was really a young boy.

As soon as his disguise was pulled on, the boy or…uhh…old man scampered down the stairs and stopped in front of the door. When he reached it he said, "Stand by," before twisting a door like knob above the actual door knob. When he did that, a dial overhanging the door suddenly flipped. It was divided into four quarters, each one color coded. The four colors were: red, green, black and blue. When the boy turned the knob, the dial flipped to blue. As soon as he did that, stronger beams of light shot through the windows, lighting up the room all the more. With that done, the boy gripped the door handle and pulled it open.

When the door swung open, more light gushed in front the outside and standing on the other side was a man Videl had never seen before. He was fat, wore a suit, bow-tie, top hat, and had a big yellow mustache and a big smile. He was also escorted by two Northern army soldiers. At the sight of the soldiers, the raven haired girl grew more concerned about herself. Did they know she was here? Have they come to get her? Well…all of that remained to be found out. She listened in intently from where she lay, looking down the stairwell toward the exit to the castle.

The disguised boy bowed to the gentleman before looking back up. "Mr. Mayor, good day," he said, covering his voice with an old man's tone.

The Mayor nodded curtly in return. "Good afternoon sir, would the great wizard Jenkins be at home?"

Videl raised an eyebrow. So the men weren't here for her. Hang on…Mayor? Where the hell was she? Surely she was still inside the castle. While she questioned her confusion she continued listening, at the same time sitting up to get a better look down the stair shaft.

"I'm afraid my master is out at the moment, I speak for him in his absence," the boy replied, continuing his cover up. The Mayor nodded in understanding before holding out towards the boy a yellow envelope with the seal of Port Haven town and the royal seal stamped beside it. The young boy took it from him carefully, as if it were something vital.

"An invitation from his Majesty the King, the time of war is upon us. Wizard Jenkins must report to the palace immediately. That is all," the Mayor stated. The boy nodded affirmatively to the Mayor and smiled underneath his lifelike beard.

"Thank you sir, I'll be to inform him when he returns."

Having heard enough and was certain the boy knew she was awake; Videl got up and stretched out. Her furry tail swung lazily behind her, happy to be able to move freely again. After tossing the cloak off of her, along with her jacket, she walked over to the fireplace, letting out a yawn. Needing to feed more fuel to the fire, she grabbed another to blocks of firewood and tossed them onto Calcifer. He accepted them without a fuss, seeing that his previously placed wood was turning to ash.

Hearing about the news of war, the raven haired girl shook her head, placing her hands close to the fire and rubbing them. She needed to warm up. "War…sounds terrible…gees…I can't believe it's come down to this…"

Along the way over her fireplace venture, she heard the door slam shut and the footsteps of the boy coming up the stairs. When the still disguised seven year old appeared again, he eyed the girl suspiciously and raised an eyebrow.

"And what do you think you're doing here miss? Did you get lost or something?" he asked, still using his old man voice. He suspected the girl hadn't seen his real face; unfortunately he was out of luck.

Videl smiled over at him, gesturing down at the orange fire. "Calcifer said I could come in," she blankly replied, using this as her excuse. Calcifer's face formed in the fire and he rose in protest.

"I did not! She just wandered in here from the wastes!" he shouted. The boy blinked in surprise, looking at the girl more curiously.

"She's from the wastes?" Waving his hands over his face and removing his hood, the boy dropped his disguise. The beard disappeared and his once old face morphed back into its original youthfulness. Shaking his head, he looked over at Calcifer before walking over to the dinner table with the letter in hand. "How do we know she's not a witch?"

Videl giggled. The boy looked quite sweet, and his persona matched that easily of a very naïve, kind hearted child. He had orb, black eyes, spiky black hair that stuck out everywhere and boyish features underneath. Underneath the cloak he wore a blue, purple and yellow lined indoor top with purple trousers and indoor shoes. A yellow belt was strapped around his waist, which also held the money bag. It was a nice outfit, especially for his age. Calcifer shook himself from side to side, as if shaking his head, seeing that he didn't have one, really…

"Do you really think I'd let a witch in here, Goten? Seriously…" As soon as he finished, the bell to the door rang, alerting his and Videl's attention. Calcifer turned to the boy. "Port Haven door again!"

Goten blinked, having just recently opened up one of the large books lying on the dining table under heavy piles of clogging mess. He shrugged, placing the letter on one of the pages and slamming the book shut, a cloud of dust rising. "Must be a customer…" Once more the boy pulled his hood over, his disguise morphing instantaneously.

Cluttering down the stairs like before, Goten said loudly, "stand by," and then opened the door. The dial was already turned to blue so there was no need for him to change it. The door swung open, light from the outside entering the dark mists of the castle. Now standing outside the door was a little girl. She wore a red and pink dress and had orange hair. She had to be no more then six.

Goten greeted the girl cheerfully. "Yes my dear child…"

She nodded to him and gulped before speaking. "Umm…my mom sent me to pick up a spell…"

The young boy nodded in understanding and bid her in, going up the stairs first followed by the girl. The door closed slowly, all thanks to Calcifer's doing. "Ahh yes, of course, do come in. It's the usual I presume…" The young girl nodded as they walked up the stairs before stepping into the lounge or, in this case, business room.

"Yes…"

"Wait right here please." Videl watched as Goten walked across the lounge and towards the shelves behind the dining table. It was here where a lot of vials, flasks and bottles sat, glimmering with all sorts of liquids. They were obviously potions, used in combination with vials of dust, powders and glitter. It was something Videl expected to see in a moving castle. A lot of magic was going on around here.

The girl saw Videl standing by the fireplace and so, focused her curiosity on her. The raven haired girl saw the girl staring at her, but ignored her. Figures… out here in Port Haven the population knew very little about her and her father. Besides, a war was going on; they had little time to think about such petty matters. It had been years after the Cell games anyway.

Deciding to paste her attention onto something else, Videl began wondering about the sudden upbringing of customer's top the castle. With her curiosity getting the better of her, Videl walked over to the nearest window, which happened to be by the stair shaft and adjacent to the potion's shelf. While Goten was at work with filling in the girl's order, Videl gazed out the window, expecting to see masses of hills and wide open landscapes. She got a real big shock when she saw a wide expanse of town and beyond that, over the horizon a sparkling blue sea. Seagulls flew about, squawking and making a natural noise for the Port city. Odd…

Videl blinked in disbelief. "It…it's not the wastes…"

The girl, finally able to buck up more courage stepped forward towards the raven haired girl a spoke. "Excuse me miss, are you a witch too?"

Videl, hearing this, turned around in response. She smiled over to the girl and shook her head. "Oh no, you have me mistaken. I'm just the cleaning lady…" The girl smiled and nodded.

"Oh, OK…I see," she exclaimed.

Moments later, Goten returned to the girl with a paper bag. He handed it to the girl who took it with a glimmer of happiness. She paid for it, handing the boy the money.

"Just sprinkle this powder on the boat and the winds will favor her," Goten stated, being sure to point out its use. The girl smiled up at him.

"Right, thanks," she said politely. With a final nod, she turned around and headed out. The door opened with a swing, Goten walking over to the shaft to make sure she found her way out right. Videl joined him at his side, watching the little girl leave.

"Farewell child…" When he finished, she was gone, her 'fair-well' return managing to fit through the crack of the door just as it closed. When the door shut itself, Goten looked up at the raven haired girl with a disgruntled scowl underneath his beard. "Could you please not interact too much with the customers, people aren't supposed to know too much about what goes on in here…"

Videl looked at him with perplexity. "Hmm…what about you, you're wearing a disguise?"

Goten nodded affirmatively, putting the money in the pouch under his cloak. When he did, he pulled his hands over his face, removing the hood and his facial disguise. "I have too, I'm practicing my magic. Plus my big brother told me too." There was another doorbell ring, all eyes present in the room turning towards the door down the stairs. Now it was Calcifer's turn to cut in, his voice reaching their ears.

"It's the Kingsbury door!"

Following his duties to answer each doorbell ring and/or knock, Goten pulled over his disguise and marched down the stairs hastily. Videl stood by, not wanting to be seen but also curious to see what was going to happen next. She had so many questions popping up in her head already.

Once again Goten said, "Stand by," before he reached the door. Instead of swinging it open, the spiky haired child reached up for the rusty knob. He twisted it round, the dial flicking to red this time with the sound of a chime ringing when it did. With the destination set, Goten swung open the door. Light flowed in, only to have it overshadowed by a man standing in front of the door. It turned out to be yet another Northern army soldier, only this one was different. It wax clearly an officer dressed in a full red, officer's outfit. He had gold linings, buttons, laces, black combat, calf high boots and yellow epaulettes with the rest of his uniform red. He had a red cape drawn over his right shoulder and under his arm nestled a steel helmet with a golden spike on top. The man was around his thirties, with a brown goatee and thin mustache.

The officer smiled friendlily down at the short man who answered the door. "Good day, would this be the residence of the great wizard Pendragon?"

"It is," Goten replied withy a nod. The soldier was really pleased to hear this, knowing that he had found the right place.

"I bare an invitation from his Majesty the King. Please inform Mr. Pendragon that all witches and wizards are to report for duty at the palace," handing a yellow paper envelope with the King's seal of approval stamped on it. Goten took it with no hesitation, nodding to the officer curtly. Videl, recognizing the uniform design, walked down the stairs slowly, peaking through the open door towards this man.

Before she could get there, Goten was already bidding good-bye to the messenger. "I will inform him right away. Thank you for stopping bye," Goten replied, rehearsing his practice lines. The officer bowed in respect before straightening up and walking away. By this time, Videl had reached the door. When she saw what was outside the castle, she could not believe her eyes.

As the officer who had delivered the message drove away in his black, silver barred Rolls-Royce, the raven haired girl was able to get a good view of her new surroundings. Beyond the door was a world of unimaginable royalty and wonder. Stone-cobble roads lay built with palace like buildings, hotels, houses and shops standing stories high into the sky. A castle stood some ways down the cityscapes, this being the most recognizable landmark in the entire city. To add to it, even the people dressed nicely. They wore classical dress wear of shining colors suited from the 1800's to the 1940's. They definitely blended into the scenery. When Videl looked up into the skies, she was surprised to see how clear it was. However, it was currently occupied as a Northern military air force squadron was on patrol. The one-manned, streamline like planes flew high above the ground, flocking like birds but maintaining one course.

Videl's eyes continued scanning the outside world, awe struck and astounded. Goten took no care or notice of Videl's gob smacked expression and just headed on inside, standing by the door and readying to close it. Videl gulped. "T-This is the royal city isn't it…Kingsbury? Wow! I've never seen such extravagant artwork buildings and design in my life!"

Goten shook his head. "MOVE IT LADY or you'll lose your nose!" Goten shouted, warning the girl that he was going to close the door.

Videl took the hint and slowly backed up. Soon she was indoors again, the door slamming shut thanks to Goten. When it closed, the young girl was left standing, rooted to the spot. As she continued to stare at the door where the glamorous world once stood, Goten turned on his heel and left her, walking back up stairs to put his cloak away.

"Now stop wandering around!" Goten said one last time in warning. He really didn't know her that well yet, so it was understandable by the way he was acting. Videl glanced over her shoulder, seeing the chibi disappear somewhere up in the lounge room.

Curious as she ever was, Videl decided to test how this door really worked. She had seen the boy use it, she was sure she could operate it. Looking back to the door, she reached out for the knob above the actual handle and gripped it. With a twist to the right, the colors in the dial shifted immediately so that the color was green. Then, taking the door handle, she pulled the door open with a click. As soon as she opened the door, a cold rush of wind blew into the castle, rustling her clothes and making her cringe at the low temperature.

Peaking out the open door, Videl began examining these new surroundings. It was foggy, wet and chilly; not to mention the wind was quite fierce. After careful examinations of the outside world, she figured she was in the wastes again. The castle hulking back was hanging above her with the hind legs propped on the ground on either side of the giant machine. The raven haired girl was surprised to see that the castle wasn't moving anymore.

For several seconds she continued taking in the misty world beyond the door. When it got too cold for her and she had had enough, Videl pulled her head back in and closed the door. Starting to have more fun with this strange door, Videl turned the knob again and changed the color of the dial once more. This time, she flipped it to blue, the color she had seen Goten use previously. When the dial chimed, signaling its change, Videl pulled opened the door.

Light gushed into the room, accompanied by a rush of warmth. Instead of just staying indoors for this one, Videl walked out onto the porch, looking left and right. The familiar outside street of Port Haven was lit up before her, with the town extending out onto the horizon with the sea stretching the rest of the way, sparkling like a wide valley of sapphires. The buildings around the street and the building she had just walked out of were all similar in design and color. It matched the atmosphere and time slot really well.

Right now, people were bustling about, getting on with their day to day activities and chores. An advertisement stand had been set up across the road where a North Kingdom soldier stood selling newspapers and pamphlets about the war. A lot of people happened to be flocking around the stand, reading the news with wide eyes. Bickering seemed to flow to Videl's ears, cutting into the peaceful sounds of the seaside.

After a few seconds outside in the Port Haven air, Videl turned around and walked back inside, being sure her tail followed her. Closing the door behind her, the girl went on with her explorations of the dials. She chuckled mischievously as she twisted the knob, seeing the colors flip by quickly. Just as she was about to switch it back to the red one, Goten appeared above her, leaning over the stair shaft's boundary railings.

"Leave it alone lady, I'm getting angry!" Goten stated with a tight scowl. Videl smiled, looking up at the spiky haired boy glaring down at her. Even when he was angry he looked sweet. She took note that he had already deposited his cloak on one of the couches.

"This is a magic castle isn't it?" Videl guessed. The only answer she got out of the seven year old was a groan of annoyance. The raven haired girl turned around even more, looking up at Goten all the more curiously. "Hey, where does the black one lead?" The chibi Saiyan sighed and stomped off, steaming.

"Only my brother Gohan knows that. Anyway, I need some breakfast, I'm starved…"

The half Saiyan child marched over to the kitchen part of the lounge room. Of course, it had already been established that the desks and shelves were jam packed with all sorts of articles of food. They ranged from fruits and vegetables, bread, eggs, meat products etc. By adding up the food supplies, Videl presumed you could live in here without restocking for quite some time. For now, Goten didn't decide to feast on a proper meal. Instead, he made a grab for a loaf of bread and a plate carrying a huge chunk of cheddar cheese. To add to it, he also collected a couple of old China glasses and a bottle of milk from the rock insulator. With his arms and hands full, the child then marched over to the dining table.

Videl, returning to the floor of the lounge room passed Goten by heading over to the kitchen shelves. After quickly looking over the food piles, she pulled over the basket of eggs and a silver platter covered by foil. Lifting the foil she saw several huge slices of bacon piled underneath. They looked very fresh and tasty. The girl raised an eyebrow and looked over at the boy. Goten was shoving stuff off of the table and away, making space to sit the stuff he had in his hands down.

"Don't you want to have some bacon and eggs? I can whip up some backed beans as well," Videl said, taking a bowl of refrigerated beans in sauce, the basket of eggs and the platter of bacon. Goten shook his head, sliding onto the seat and making do with the bread and cheese, as well as the milk.

"Yeah, but we can't use the fire, my brother's not home," Goten replied, collecting some forks and knives.

Chuckling, Videl took the stuff she held and walked over to the nearby wall beside the fireplace. There were kitchen utensils hanging off of the wall, ranging from all shapes, sizes and types. There were four frying pans hanging as well, each designed to hold different things. Seeing that the breakfast she had in mind required a large dish to be cooked on, Videl grabbed the largest frying pan with the longest handle. She was sure Calcifer had a bad temper and would attempt to blow her away, but she had a few tricks up her sleeve. She had taken home economics, as well as serving herself when her father or the maid was away.

Taking a large wooden spoon, Videl smiled and walked over to the fireplace. "Don't worry, I can cook. I'll have this done in no time…"

Goten looked over at her, blinking in surprise. Maybe he didn't make himself clear enough. Just in case, he decided to rephrase what he had said. "It doesn't matter if you can cook. Calcifer only obeys my brother…"

The fire demon nodded, his flickering form becoming fiercer. "That's right lady, I'm not taking any orders from you!" He made a raspberry sound, poking fun at the girl.

Videl didn't mind his offenses. As soon as she stopped in front of the fire sheath and set her stuff down, she twirled the frying pan by the handle in between her fingers and caught it in a firm grip. The girl grinned evilly down at the fire and cracked her neck, as if warming herself up.

"Alright Calcifer, lets get cooking…"

This, the fire demon didn't take a liking too. "I DON'T COOK! I'M A SCARY AND POWERFUL FIRE DEMON! RRRAAAAGGGGHHH!!!!" Calcifer roared in outrage, sticking an orange-yellow tongue out and waving it about in a menacing way, but just did it to get his point across. Videl smirked, her eyes glinting.

"How would you like a bucket of cold water in your face?" the raven haired girl asked. She then thought of something else. Leaning forward, she raised her hand so to block it out of Goten's earshot range and began whispering. "Or maybe I should tell Gohan about our bargain…"

Calcifer looked taken aback. He groaned in irritation and muttered under his breath. Now he was stuck in between a rock and a hard place. "…doh…stupid me…I NEVER SHOULD HAVE LET HER IN HERE!!!"

Videl smiled, placing the frying pan over him. Calcifer attempted to stop her by holding two fiery hands up and pushing the frying pan's base back up. He resisted magnificently. "So what will it be?" Videl asked, applying more pressure.

Just as she thought Calcifer would continue to resist, the fire eventually gave in and shrunk down to size. The frying pan flattened him and a nice, cold blue flame replaced him, forming a circular base to fit the frying pan's size. Videl nodded with a proud smile, reaching over for the platter and pulling up one of the slices of bacon. She tossed it onto the pan, letting it sizzle.

"That's right, that's a good fire…"

Calcifer's face appeared in the blue flame, a very disgruntled look edged on his expression. Despite being quite featureless, except for the fact that he was the element of fire, he did make excellent looks to show his displeasure etc. He glared up at the girl tending the bacon on the frying pan sitting on his head. "Here's another curse…'may all your bacon burn'…" he muttered in disgust.

Goten was watching with amazement. His eyes were widened at the sight of the raven haired girl taming Calcifer. He had never seen someone do that before accept his brother, even he was never able to get Calcifer to do anything. The chibi Saiyan blinked in disbelief.

"Calcifer is doing what she says…" Goten whispered.

Videl smiled, glancing over her shoulder toward the spiky haired child. "I feel like some tea…do you have a kettle?" Goten nodded affirmatively, shaking out of his state of shock.

"Sure," Goten replied, hopping off of his chair and dashing over to the sink. Calcifer heard Videl's proposal to make tea, as well as the word 'kettle'. He began shouting more protests, completely befuddled by what these people were doing to him.

"Hey-hey-hey! What are you doing!? Don't get the kettle…whose side are you on anyway!? Hey Goten, Goten…wait a second…HEY!"

Looking through the piles of dirty dishes, Goten began seeking out the clean kettle. He found it among the depositories, picking it up out of the pile of dishes and checking to see its condition and state. Fortunately it was clean enough to use.

Just as Goten was examining it, the chibi Saiyan picked up a chime on the wind and looked up. Sensing a familiar presence entering his mists, Goten turned around toward the stair shaft behind him. He saw that the dial was flipped to black and the windows were no longer playing host to any beams of light. Outside the castle, it was all dark now. He immediately knew who was coming.

Seconds after he heard the chime, Goten saw the door open and…emerging from the unknown depths of the dark, outside world beyond the black door came his brother. Wearing the same outfit as he had worn countless times before, the 18 year old half Saiyan shut the door behind him and walked up the stairs slowly, obviously exhausted. Goten was delighted to see his brother. As soon as he began marching up the stairs, he rushed over to the railings and began talking to him.

"Gohan, you're back! Hey, the King's messengers were here! They said you had to report to the palace as both Pendragon and Jenkins!" Goten informed. Gohan looked up, registering to his younger brother. The older Saiyan smiled kindly and nodded affirmatively.

"Thank you Goten, I'll be sure to read the messages," Gohan replied, continuing up the few steps left before taking to the lounge room floor.

Hearing a third party member nearby, Videl turned away from her cooking to see who Goten was addressing. She got quite a shock when she saw the familiar, blonde haired, mystery man who had saved her days ago. She stared at him only momentarily before she went back to work, tossing the bacon around so that it was done properly.

An awkward silence dawned on the room as Gohan approached the fireplace. He had spotted the girl working by the sheath and making breakfast. He was definitely surprised to see the raven haired guest working with Calcifer, especially since he was following her orders. Stopping beside her, he saw that she was continuing to work, even though he was standing beside her. She was really devoted to her work. Still, he was happy…like always.

Gohan smiled at the blue fire burning around the base of the pan. "Calcifer…you're being so obedient," Gohan said in a soft voice. His tone, though as mature and battle-hardened as it was, he was still just as kind as ever.

The blue fire responded to his master in kind. Turning its original orange color, the demon's face appeared. From the look of it, he was very distressed. "Not on purpose, she bullied me!" Gohan chuckled in amusement. His friend's hysterics always made him laugh.

"Not just anybody can do that," Gohan added. He then turned to the unexpected guest, seeing her still working away. "…and you are…who?" he continued.

Videl grinned and then turned to the spiky, blond haired Saiyan. A streak of red crossed her cheeks as she smiled happily up at him. "Uhh, my name is Videl. I'm the new cleaning lady I just started work today. Heh-heh," she exclaimed. Gohan smirked and floated down to her.

"Why don't you let me handle that," he said, gently taking the frying pan from her and the spoon she held. Videl was hurried aside, the girl watching with great interest as Gohan took the wheel of the stove. He tapped the bacon, the piece of meat sizzling on the frying pan's hot surface. He nodded to it with satisfaction.

"Nice work, now if you please, hand me two more slices of that bacon, and six more of those eggs. The beans can wait," he stated. Guiding the pan over to the girl, he held it out, waiting for the other articles of breakfast to be placed on it. Videl, quickly making do with the required pieces, picked up to more slices of bacon and placed them on the pan. They sizzled as soon as they touched the surface. Gohan then pulled the frying pan back over the fire and continued on with the work. The raven haired girl helped as best she could; handing him one egg at a time. The young Saiyan cracked the shells against the side of the fireplace's side before opening them above the pan, the egg's contents spilling out onto it. They sizzled as soon as they stuck. Gohan disposed of the empty shell easily, throwing it into the fire. This was a good thing for Calcifer. As soon as the eggs were tossed at him, his face appeared along with his mouth. It opened up, accepting the egg shells. He moaned in delight, feasting on the broken egg shells.

Videl handed Gohan his six eggs individually with Calcifer feasting on the shells. While the two of them worked together on the breakfast, Gohan's curiosity about the girl grew. He clearly recognized her as the girl from a few days ago whom he saved. But how she got here was a real mystery. Glancing at her briefly, he took a quick peak at her ki and appearance. He may not have noticed this before, but the girl's features have defined slightly, making her much more beautiful. She also had a power surge, as well as a spirit lift. Inspections of both outer appearance and inner appearance ended quickly, but not without the young Saiyan spotting out a brown, furry tail waving casually behind her. He deduced it as a spell of some sorts.

Looking back to his work, Gohan decided to ask her a few questions. "So…who hired you to clean?"

She responded to this instantaneously. "Uhh…Calcifer did, he's disgusted by how dirty it is in here," Videl replied, handing him one last egg. Gohan nodded. After a few more seconds of letting their breakfast cook, he looked over at Goten and bade for his assistance.

"Hey sport, get the plates!"

The chibi Saiyan immediately got to work, gathering cups, plates, forks and spoons. He had to make even more room on the table, pushing stuff aside with some of it falling to the floor. There were exactly three seats and three spaces for the castle group. Gohan finally finished making breakfast, and with a ginger nod, he walked over to the table. Videl watched dazedly as the handsome Saiyan headed over to join his brother. Calcifer was outraged.

"Wait a second, you're all going to eat while I do all the WORK!!!" he shouted, sparks flying and his form growing larger with his anger. Goten looked at Videl and waved her over.

"Come have a seat Videl!"

Videl smiled and walked over, her tail waving happily. Calcifer scowled as he watched her walk away. While everyone's backs were turned he stuck his tongue out at them before subsiding to muttering and glaring. Videl took her seat on Goten's right side along the length of the table while he sat at the width end where he made space. Gohan sat across from the raven haired girl, evenly distributing bacon and eggs to each person present. Videl was rather confounded by the dust on the table. She had to push it away, the amount of dust lying on the surface forming a pile beside her. She sighed in content. When the plate of bacon and eggs had been pushed in front of her and her tea had been poured, she heard a clutter of utensils and looked up. She saw Goten holding out two spoons and one fork, the child grinning wildly.

"Which do you want? You only get one because the rest are dirty!" he exclaimed happily. Videl took one of the spoons, wiping it with her hand and using the corner of her shirt as a cloth. She muttered under her breath.

"Looks like I've got my work cut out for me…"

Gohan was now slicing bread for his friends and family. He handed the first slice to Goten, seeing him take it eagerly. "Bread, Goten…"

"Thank you, big brother!" Goten exclaimed.

Gohan smiled and sliced another large piece, handing this one to Videl. She gasped when her attention suddenly glued to it. "Videl…" he said softly. The raven haired girl nodded and took it gently.

"Yes…thank you…"

After cutting a piece for himself, Gohan then raised his cup of tea and smiled to the pair sitting before him. "So friends…enjoy, 'bon appetite'."

"Bon appetite!" Goten exclaimed, raising his cup. Videl did so too, both of them lowering their drinks in unison. The chibi of the group couldn't help but feel delighted. "Man, I can't remember the last time we had a descent breakfast…"

As quickly as it was made, Goten began gulping down the food with haste. The sound of him ingesting the stuff on his plate was one of slurping and growling. Well, the growling was like that of a hungry person who hasn't eaten in months. Videl took it even more lightly. She scowled at Goten. Even though he was cute and naïve, he still had bad habits.

"Even the manners are a mess in this house…"

Gohan hadn't even gotten into his food yet. After drinking his tea, he sensed a tinge of something in the air and looked up. He found that it had come from Videl's very person, something he wasn't really expecting but took it in stride instead. He smiled up at their guest, his teal eyes glittering (he was still in Super Saiyan form). "So…what do you have hidden in your pocket Videl?"

Just as Videl was about to take another bite out of her egg, she stopped and lowered her spoon. She blinked a few times in confusion before reaching down for her black, bicycle shorts and checking the pocket there. She felt something there, a paper or cardboard of some sorts. Strange, she didn't feel it there before. Reaching into her pocket, she grabbed it by her fingers and pulled it out. As soon as it was out, she saw what it was. It was a folded up piece of red paper. The girl tilted her head at it as she examined it.

"What is this?" Gohan raised a hand towards her, his palm tipped upwards.

"Give it to me…" Videl shrugged and nodded, wondering how Gohan knew she had such a thing.

As soon as Gohan's fingers came in touch with it, the piece of paper suddenly came alight and both Videl and Gohan pulled away sharply. Videl emitted a shocked gasp while Gohan moved away in anticipation. The piece of paper only sparked and didn't do anything further as it floated down to the table's surface. It was during that spark did strange black lines appear on the paper to suddenly form a picture. Within seconds it made contact with the table, and a moment after that, the paper seemed to sink into the table but was clearly burnt away, disappearing into a whiff of smoke. It was this burning did the piece of paper leave its initial mark into it. The black lines that had appeared on the paper were now burnt into the table. Goten and Videl leaned over to inspect the damage. The mark was burned right in the middle of the table. Goten gasped and looked up at his brother.

"Scorch marks, Gohan, can you read them?" Videl looked up at Gohan as well, seeing his intended reaction. Gohan was smirking, his right eyebrow rose. To accompany this his teal eyes were glittering strangely again; that same glitter Videl had seen countless times before.

As he stared down at the burn mark, he spoke. "That is ancient sorcery…quite powerful too…" Goten tilted his head up at his brother.

"Is it from the Witch of the Waste or Babidi? Those two are mean…!" Both Videl and Goten then returned their eyes to the mark in the table, while listening Gohan read it. He leaned in close, seeing the marks as clear as day.

"'_You who have been torn apart by pain and suffering, oh heartless man…who have been cursed with a binding contract; your heart shall burn, as it does now and forever more! Monsters are formed of evil and those torn by heartache'._ That can't be good for the table…_"_ Gohan read, translating the picture burned into the wooden surface. He added his comment with very little pity toward the furniture. He sighed and held a hand out, placing it just beside the mark. Then, slowly and with light concentration, Gohan dragged his hand across the table. As his hand scratched across the mark, sparks flew and more smoke rose. The burning sensation lit up the faces of all those watching. Videl and Goten were awing the sight while Gohan was smirking confidently in a weary glow. Calcifer had been watching and listening too, and was very worried about what Gohan had said.

Seconds later, Gohan had smoothed his hand over the mark and pulled it back up. Hot smoke lifted and the light vanished. The table no longer bore the mark. Goten gawked at this and leaned over again, getting out of his seat.

"Wow…it's gone!" Gohan rubbed his ash ridden hand, getting rid of the stain smeared on it.

"The mark may be gone, but the spell is still there," Gohan stated. Then, taking up his plate, Gohan stood up and nodded to his brother and guest respectfully. "Excuse me, my friends, please continue your meal." Ending it with a friendly smile to Videl, the young Saiyan walked over to the fire place where Calcifer sat and burned away. Videl couldn't help but blush after that smile.

When Gohan reached the fire place, he raised the plate over the sheath and spooned his food into the flames. Calcifer opened his mouth wide to accept the falling breakfast. He feasted on it hungrily. "Calcifer, move the castle 60 miles to the West," the Saiyan instructed, placing the plate beside the sheath. After setting the plate down, Gohan walked over to the stairs leading up to the second floor of the castle. Videl and Goten watched Gohan walk away and head of the stairs. Before he could disappear, Gohan stopped and peered through the railings towards Calcifer.

"And while you're at it, make hot water for my bath," Gohan said. Calcifer groaned as Gohan vanished up the stairs.

"Fine, like moving the castle isn't hard enough," the fire demon replied, setting to work.

After seeing Gohan disappear and overhear Calcifer's mutter, Goten turned to Videl and stared at her rather suspiciously. His scowl attracted her attention, the teenager looking at the chibi with curiosity. "You're…not working for the Witch of the Waste are you?"

Videl took this into instant consideration. Almost four seconds after Goten had said that, Videl growled and tightened her fists in anger. She was sure shocked. "I would never work for that witch, she's the one who…" she couldn't finish. Just as she was about to say that it was the witch who had cast that spell on her, her mouth clenched tightly shut, and the girl tried with all her might to let the words slip out of her. She tried tricking herself, but the spell was effective enough to block her from saying it. After frustratingly trying to speak, in so doing failing time and time again, Videl finally lost it.

Fisting her fingers tighter, Videl got up before sharply dropping back down to her seat, sending her fists into the table. Her fists formed marks in the table, in so doing making everything on top of it lift two feet off of the surface before it all came back down. Tons of it fell from the table, with Goten reacting fast enough to save his breakfast. Videl's little impression was matched by her outburst. She got back up and glared straight ahead of her with fury burning in her eyes. Calcifer seemed to cringe under her glare, fearing she would take it out on him. Fortunately for him, she was not in the mood for picking on anybody today.

"IF I EVER GET MY HANDS ON THAT WITCH I'M GOING TO WRING HER FAT NECK!!!" Videl roared in anger, her voice echoing through the entire castle and raising the roof at least a few inches. Goten cringed just like Calcifer, not from her anger but from the volume of her voice. It was amazing how far she could raise it. She reminded him of their mother, who was currently back at their old Mount Paoz residence, living with Grandpa.

After taking a small breather, Videl sat back down and glared at him momentarily. "Finish the breakfast!" she ordered. Then, as if she had nothing left to lose began shoveling her food down just like Goten before her. The chibi Saiyan was still very shocked. He was unable to eat just yet as he was still gawking at Videl, who was now eating faster then anyone he had ever seen eat before.

Hey, what can you do? She was a Saiyan now…

TO BE CONTINUED…


	7. Clean Up

**Gohan's Moving Castle**

**Clean Up**

It wasn't long till breakfast time was finished. As soon as it was over and all the dishes had been placed on the sink, Videl set to work immediately. Hurrying Goten up to get everything important out of the way (those included books and whatever), Videl began setting up the place for sweeping. Since they didn't have any power points around the castle or proper electrical equipment, Videl had to do everything by hand. So, after putting most of the books away, setting the chairs up on top of tables and moving larger pieces of furniture into one of the remarkably cleaner corners, the raven haired girl was finally sweeping away.

Because there was so much dust and stuff needed to be cleaned, she had to put on an apron and a handkerchief mask. The rest of her gear was stored away on the couch underneath the stairs. Anyway, with the old-fashion broom, bucket, mop and towel, Videl began dusting away. She swept up the ceiling, tons of dust falling to the ground while the broom picked up cob and spider webs along the way. The dust gathered on the ground, creating an immense sheet of carpet. Videl, though disgusted as she was, was surprised by the amount of dirt and grime lying around. It took a lot of effort to get all the dust in those hard to reach places.

Her assault on the main room was continuous and relentless in a way. She was unchallenged by the obstacles lying in her path. The reason being was that her previous outburst during breakfast had left her with a huge mass of tireless energy. Rule number one, never get Videl angry.

After finishing sweeping the ceiling so that all the dust floated around or was lying on the ground, she began taking it outside. Gathering it all up onto a giant tray, she deposited it all in the garbage bin out on the Port Haven streets, outside of the said Jenkins shop. Goten, under the cover of his disguise, was able to bring one about to help Videl. Unfortunately for him, he only got in the way most of the time as he was running in and out; taking all of the important stuff out of harms way. He piled it all out on a couple of tables moved outside the shop. Along with dozens of other equipment, possessions etc. the loads kept on coming.

While Videl was sweeping out the remaining dust, she couldn't help but complain.

"I've had enough of this!" Thankfully, she wasn't complaining about her curse. At least she wasn't taking it out on Goten. Brushing her broom over the side of the wall, Videl squashed several spiders in hiding before sweeping them onto the giant tray. "You bugs had better run before I bite your heads off!" Well, at least she could vent it out on the insects crawling around. Meanwhile, a family of mice managed to exit the castle via the open door, escaping the girl's wrath.

Goten rushed back in and saved his brother's note book. Taking it, he hurried back outside, followed shortly by a cloud of dust. When he was safely outdoors, he sat the notebook on the many piles of other books lying on the first table to the door. All the while, people passing by the shop couldn't help but stare. The commotion was quite loud, and everyone was bewildered to see a cloud of dirt fly out the door. They wondered who could be working so hard in there.

While Goten was staring up at the door through his grey beard, a elderly man came up to him.

"Hello sir, is my potion ready?" he asked. Goten turned to him.

"Come back later," the disguised chibi replied. He then averted his attention back to the shop. "There's a witch on a rampage in there." The old man looked too and cringed when he heard a cry of frustration. That really turned some heads.

With all the chatter, clattering and fumbling going on inside the shop, it was hard not to turn and take a look. But as soon as they heard a loud clatter of metallic objects or a scream of anger, people began moving again. Goten and the old man would be customer just stood and watched.

For about two hours Videl worked on. After much effort, she was able to clear out all the dust. Gathering it all up in that final heap, she carried it outside and dumped it in the large bin. People watched her as she exited then went back into the building. Some show. Anyway, after putting away the dust pan and broom, Videl took out the bucket and mop. Filling the bucket up with hot water and adding a washing detergent, she set to work on the next step. The floor was soon frothing under bubbles and water. Videl scrubbed away, putting a lot of back into her work. While she was working, Calcifer couldn't help but comment.

"You know Videl, it might be easier wrapping your tail around your waist while your doing this. People can see it, and it gets in the way a lot," the fire demon called. Videl, wiping her forehead, turned to look at the demon. She pulled the handkerchief mask down as she stared at him, a bit surprised.

"W-wrap it around my waist?" she asked. Calcifer nodded with a smile.

"Sure. Goten and Gohan wrap it around their waists. It helps a lot. Trust me," Calcifer stated. Videl, looking down at her tail, waved it around. She figured she got the hang of it. The girl smiled and nodded to the fire of the sheath.

"Thanks Calcifer," she exclaimed. Her furry appendage wrapped around her waist, not too tightly, but enough so that it was secure. With that settled, she got back to work, not bothering to put the handkerchief back up. Her mop lavished away at the floor. Within thirty minutes or so, it was finally looking cleaner then ever.

The floor sparkled once the water had been mopped away, with Videl seeing the resulted of her work. The walls were dusted clean, same with the ceiling, and the floor was looking better then ever. She was yet unable to roll out the carpet. So, after the floor was wiped clear, the raven haired girl then carried the rolled up carpet outside, careful not to drop it or sprinkle any more dust onto the floorboards.

After dragging the carpet, or carpets outside, she hung it on a tall railing and began batting at it the old fashion way. The dust lifted off of the royal colored carpets easily with each swing and strike. Videl got a really good work out as she took out her stress and anger on the carpets. Even more people began gathering around, watching the girl bat at the carpet. Goten couldn't help but find amusement in the girl's antics. He didn't enjoy it for long when Videl sent him a death glare. The chibi Saiyan remained quiet.

Half an hour later, Videl was done swiping away at the carpets. Rolling them back up, she took them inside. She told Goten to start putting things back into place, the half Saiyan child obliging. Setting the carpets up against the wall, Videl made last minute check ups of the place. The dishes surely needed cleaning, but she would do that afterwards. So in the mean time, she began moving cushions and blankets around, meaning to get them cleaned up later on in the day when they get the required sunlight.

It may have been one of the better times for Videl. But as it turns out, it was the worse time for Calcifer. As Videl was moving stuff around, the raven haired girl good swear she heard him crying out for help. Her ears weren't really that sharp.

Sitting in his sheath, Calcifer was burning out his last twigs, literally. The two logs Videl had refreshed him with were nearly gone. All that was left was a ash ridden, stake sized piece of wood. Calcifer was nothing but a small candle flame sitting on the very edge of it. His little face was distorted in distress. He was scared.

"Videl…please! Videl please…help me…I'm going out! Please…g-get me s-some firewood quick…quick-come on…" Calcifer yelled as loud as he could without burning away too quickly. He was hanging on by a limb. His form threatened to shrink, but it grew back to a small candle flame again, and he flickered dangerously on the brink of disappearing. "Videl…please…"

Suddenly, out of nowhere and pair of metallic tongs suddenly grabbed the stake he was nestled on and lifted him off the ground. Videl was the one wielding these utensils. Calcifer was all the more distressed. "V-Videl…hey…w-what are you doing! Hey! Put me down! You crazy lady with tongs! I'll fall!"

Pulling out a metal cup on a tripod, Videl settled Calcifer and the piece of wood he was hanging onto, right on the ridges of the small pot. Releasing the wood, Videl set the tongs onto the fire tending stand before she laid out a large cloth out on the ground beneath the sheath. With a smile, Videl brought out a giant fire scraper and began pulling the ashes toward her so that they fell onto the cloth.

"You'll be fine, Calcifer. I'm just sweeping out the ashes," Videl exclaimed. With that settled she continued sweeping the ashes out of the nooks and crannies of the fireplace.

Calcifer was horrified. He continued asking Videl to help him but she ignored his complaints and comments. When she had all the ash swept out, she tied up the ash filled blanket so that it formed a sack. Secured, with no holes whatsoever, Videl carried the bag out of the castle, disappearing out the front door. The little fire demon couldn't hold himself anymore. It was the first time he was hanging exposed like this before. He had arms and legs, but at the base of his fiery body seemed to be some sort of oval like object. It looked delicate, and seemed to beat like a heart. It was weird.

"Videl…please…please hurry up! I'm going out. No…help, I'm falling, I'm falling," Calcifer sobbed, clinging onto the piece of wood for dear life, trying not to fall into the dark depths of the small pot holding them up. But then without warning, Calcifer burned out the rest of the wood he was hanging from. It collapsed under his weight. "Videl…Whhoooaaahhh… (Poof)" Calcifer disappeared into the cup, a ring of smoke escaping out the top. His glow faded.

Just as it seemed Calcifer was gone for good, a strong, big hand reached out and took the pot by the handle. The young man and owner of the hand tossed two fire logs onto the fireplace, the pieces of wood clattering on landing. After making sure they were seated right, the wielder of the pot holding the still conscious Calcifer turned it over and tipped the remains of Calcifer into his hand. What fell out of the pot was, not ash, but blue fire illuminated around the only solid piece of the fire demon. It continued to beat, a lot louder this time, in tone with a strong heart. As soon as it was out of the cup, the holder of the dwindling Calcifer brought it up so that it leveled about three inches away from his lips. He blew on it, sparks flying off of the slow burning flame as well as a strange, golden dust.

Videl was gone for only a couple of minutes. Having disposed of the dust rubbish, she returned to the castle's lounge to put Calcifer back into his haven. As soon as the girl returned to the top of the small flight of stairs, she was rather surprised to find Gohan standing by the fireplace, his hand hovering over two fire logs with a newly awakened, orange flame burning between them. The young Saiyan slowly straightened himself, satisfied with seeing his friend still alive. When the spiky haired Saiyan felt two presences's standing nearby, he turned to the door, a smile on his face.

Videl blinked, so did Goten (the little guy was standing beside her). They saw Gohan's gaze avert to them, capturing them in a tense moment. Gohan was wearing the same clothes they had seen him wearing before. The traditional styled white, long sleeved shirt, black belt, black gi trousers, martial arts shoes, red ankle weights and black jacket flung over his shoulders in cape like fashion. His tail was fastened around his waist, but looked like a second belt covering his first. The young Saiyan grinned at the two souls gazing at him, unhampered by their surprise.

"I'd appreciate it, if you didn't torment my friend," Gohan exclaimed in a kind tone. He turned to them and began a stride like approach.

Knowing that they were in the way, Videl and Goten stepped to the side, allowing Gohan to pass and head down the stairs. When he reached the open door, Gohan closed it and flipped the knob above the handle. The multi-colored dial above the doors flipped to black with a barely audible chime. Once again the sunlight outside the windows beyond the door changed to a black, night shade. The portals switched. Goten blinked in confusion and moved a bit more to the stairs so he could speak with his brother. He was inwardly confused.

"Big brother, are you going out now," the chibi asked. Gohan smiled up at his brother at the raven haired teenager behind him. His teal eyes shimmered and his spiky, blonde hair waved about.

"Goten, make sure Videl doesn't get carried away with her cleaning," Gohan instructed, specifically giving this small, simple order to Videl. With a final nod, Gohan turned to the door and swung it open. It flung itself inwards, a cold breeze shooting into their midst. Then, without a word, Gohan leapt into the cold, sky darkness. His form vanished into the black, the door slamming itself shut behind him. The dials changed once more, chiming as they struck green.

Goten blinked and looked behind him up at the raven haired girl. "Videl, what did you do?" She was thoroughly confused. Videl blinked as she stared down at the one who addressed her, and was unable to register her thoughts at the moment. The two of them were cut short when Calcifer addressed his still living presence.

"She almost smothered me!" he shouted in outrage. Goten and Videl turned to him, caught off guard. The orange fire demon glared at them from his place, flickering strongly. His eyes flared dangerously. "If I die, Gohan dies too I hope you know!"

Videl scowled and sent him a death glare. Calcifer shrunk back into his wood, hoping it would protect him. But after his bear death experience, it made him think differently. Videl stalked up to the fireplace, grabbing her mop, bucket and broom before walking off.

"Oh quiet, you're alright. Now quit bothering me, I've got a job to do," Videl growled. She headed towards the next flight of stairs leading up to the unknown, second floor. Goten saw her approach it and panicked. He dashed over to the stairs and cut her off, standing in front of her and holding his arms out.

"WAIT! You can't come up here!" Goten shouted. Videl smiled mischievously and gave Goten the suspicious stare. This meant trouble.

"Whatever you don't want me to clean, better hide it now," Videl whispered, eyeing him. Goten gulped and then gasped, looking up the stairs before looking back down at Videl.

"B-But what about the rest of the stuff, we need to put all of it away? Finish what we've started!" pointed out. Videl turned to the lounge room. She saw that all of the stuff outside had been brought in and were all piled on the dining table. He good thing was, they were all clean and were sorted out neatly. Satisfied, Videl turned back to look at Goten. She grinned.

"We can finish up later. So," Videl said, raising an eyebrow. "What about the next level of this place?" Her eyes flickered with a strange glint. Goten freaked. He looked back and forth, up and down the stairs and back to Videl. He lowered his arms and began to turn.

"Save my room for last, OK!" With that, Goten was off. He dashed up the stairs as fast he could. He tripped once, but quickly got up and sprinted out of sight.

Videl chuckled and trekked up the stairs slowly. She was pleased at how persuasive she was towards the youngest of the group. It was too easy. "These little outbursts seem to be giving me some energy," she whispered.

Slowly walking up the stairs, the raven haired girl finally reached the top. As soon as she saw the true visage of what the second floor's state was, she was appalled. Setting her stuff down, leaning them against the wall, Videl placed her hands on her hips and looked around. She shook her head, her eyes going over the walls, ceiling, floor and doors. There was a long stretch of corridor that turned into another small flight of stairs that led to a third level. The hallway here however was what she had her mind set on. It was completely filthy, dirtier then the bottom floor. It was dusty, filled with cobwebs and some trash laying around…it was disgraceful. She wondered how Gohan and his lot could live in here.

"What a mess," she commented, obviously disgusted. After a quick look around, she turned the first door she saw. Incidentally it was the first door you would see when you reached the top of the stairs, and it also happened to be the main bathroom. Videl braced herself to what she would find in there.

Swinging the door open and peaking inside, Videl nearly threw her hand up to her mouth to stop herself from throwing up. The room was completely painted with all sorts of lotions, the smears on the walls in the entire place being evidence to this. She thought about it once, but figured some of the dried up, brown stuff on the ground was dry blood. She didn't want to know what else it was. There was also a sink, a bath, a shower and a toilet here. The bath was still filled with green, slimy looking water (how did Gohan manage to bathe in that?). The sink was grimy with the shelf above it loaded with all sorts of lotions, soap and potion vials that were all full. The shower had towels piled all over it and the toilet…one look at the open bowl and Videl hurried backwards in shock. Her nose scrunched up from the stench.

Gagging from the thin mist floating in the room, Videl walked over to the window and batted it open. As soon as they were open, Videl got another shock, this time it was one of a better kind. Leaning out the window, the raven haired girl was captivated by the sights laid out before her. At least ten stories above the ground, she was able to get the first, good view of what it was like being on the upper levels while the castle was moving. Everything disgusting and more overly rusty about the exterior of the castle was all but blown out of her mind. The howling winds blew in a cool breeze, fluttering her hair and T-shirt about. The rolling hills sides and mountains the castle was walking through presented an awe inspiring sight. Looking down, Videl could see a high off canyon filled to the brim with trees and a river flowing graciously at the bottom. To add to the magnificence of scenes, a flock of birds flew by, Stalks by the looks of it.

Videl's mouth gaped wide and her open eyes blinked in disbelief. It was simply amazing. Never in her life had she experienced. In fact, through the past couple of days, each and every out of the ordinary event had something in common with the next. They were all impossible, yet simply wonderful. Flying through the air, magic…well…she wasn't too fond about it, anyway…moving castles, talking fires! These were things she had never seen before, neither had she ever experienced.

"Incredible!" she exclaimed, still leaning out the open window. Videl then pulled her head back in and turned toward the wide open door on the other side of the bathroom. She had to know. "CALCIFER! CALCIFER! Are you the one moving the castle!!!?"

The fire demon wasn't dumb nor was he deaf. He clearly heard the girl's voice echoing down from the second floor and, in response, was very firm and disgruntled. All the while he continued to sit in his place in the fire. "Of course I am! Nobody else does any work around here!" he replied.

Videl rushed over to the stairs and bent over so she could see the orange fire. Calcifer looked up in surprise. He saw her energetic form and joyous expression smiling down at him.

"I am thoroughly impressed!" Videl exclaimed. "You're a first class fire demon, I like your spark!" she continued, winking at him. She rushed back up the stair case, hoping to find a balcony or something she could step out onto at a higher level. She was so excited now. Calcifer on the other end was flattered by Videl's comment. On the contrary, his orange flame turned pink and purple. He was shocked.

"S-She likes my…SPARK! HAHAHAHA!!!" Calcifer shouted happily, his form growing and sparking crazily. What resulted was a very high energy output. The castle steamed heavily, fire shooting out of the top funnels and stacks. What followed was a power walking pace initiated by the castle; its creaking, squeaking, hissing, groaning and gear grinding noises grew louder. Soon, the entire hulk of the castle was rushing over the hills, overloaded by a happy fire demon.

Videl rushed up the third flight of stairs, depositing herself into another hallway. The corridor extended left a right. It was to her left did a door slam shut, followed by shouting from a particular Saiyan chibi.

"AH! Not ready, not ready!" Goten yelled. His hysterics were rational enough. It was obvious the door that was closed was leading to his messy room, which he was hurrying to try and clean up. The spiky, black haired child was fearful for his possessions. No wonder. Videl had been terrorizing the dust, dirt and bugs in the entire castle for hours.

Videl didn't have time to bully Goten just now; she was still looking for the balcony. There had to be one somewhere in the castle. On the outside she saw plenty of household built platforms and brick work. There had to be someplace where she could walk out onto. She eventually found one. The entrance was a door several feet down the hall to her right. There was a wide open window beside it with red curtains and a label at the top of it saying _'Balcony and Port side lookout'_. Running to it, Videl grabbed the handle and pulled the door open. It practically flew open, pushed by a force of wind soon following after its initial accessing.

The raven haired girl wasted little time and stepped the first, few, cautious steps onto the balcony. It was made of marble and cement, taking a very 1940's design. It was white, clear and clean. It had a couple of chairs and a table also set up out here. Perhaps it was where Gohan or Goten came to get some much needed fresh air. But the details of the balcony weren't much to talk over. As soon as she was sure it was secure, she ran over to the edge and leaned over, looking out onto the landscapes extending from below to the horizon. The winds whipped at her hair and clothes, giving her a cool breeze to relax in.

The landscapes were as magnificent as ever. Green, rolling hillsides swallowed up the wastelands, with snow caped mountains reaching high into the skies beyond the valleys. Evergreen trees stood proudly, illuminated by the light of the sun. The skies were all clear. The valleys were blossoming with life. Below the castle, a herd of deer ran by, screeching their calls. More and more birds made an appearance, fluttering around the castle and Videl's place on the balcony. She laughed as they chirped at her before flying off. Seeing them fly ahead of the castle brought Videl's eyes to a new sight. Leaning over more, Videl saw a huge lake resting at the base of a ring of mountains. It was clear, crystal blue, and shone like a jewel. It looked like the opening to an ocean, but was indeed a lake. Rivers linked up with it, flowing into it or out of it so they could filter the land with their purity. Everything grew healthily around the lake.

Having realized Videl wasn't cleaning, Goten set out looking for her. He easily found her perched on the balcony and so, joined her by the marble railings. He stood on her left, closest to the front. He gazed out in her direction, seeing what she was looking at. Looking back at her, he smiled and then looked out toward the lake again. The cool breeze of the outdoors met him as well, and he was well over relieved. Videl's eyes sparkled in admiration of the land.

"It's beautiful…" she whispered. Goten nodded.

"Yeah, it's called Star Lake," the chibi replied, letting Videl know what this magnificent landmark was.

There was a clatter, a sound well above the noises the castle made, even though they were hushed by the winds and height of its hulk. Goten's ears twitched and he looked down a bit from his intended gaze area. When he did, he saw what looked like a pole sticking up and above the balcony's railings just by a few inches. It was still visible through the supports. Shuffling over a bit more, Goten looked down at the pole, which seemed to be moving. The large, straight branch seemed to be stuck in one of the access steam slots of the castle's pivot mechanisms. Fortunately, this slot was out of action for the moment, sparing whatever it was stuck in there. Whatever the case, Goten was still bewildered. He had explored every inch of the castle and nothing was out of place, except this. He blinked.

"Hey, what's that stick doing in there?" he asked. Videl had joined him to when she heard the same, metallic clattering. When she saw the vaguely familiar branch, she sighed and reached down, grabbing it.

"Oh dear…give me a hand, Goten," she groaned, attempting to pull it out by herself. Goten did as she asked. With both of them holding onto the pole, they worked in unison to pull it free. It took a bit of jerking effort, but they eventually managed to get it out. Somehow, every stick they come across was very hard to get out when stuck, with good reason.

Swinging it out and up, they saw that, attached to the other end of the stick, was a bunched up suit arranged into order to fit a person. There was also a turnip used for a head with a top hat on top. When they stood it up on the balcony, Goten was very surprised.

"It's a scarecrow," he said, stating the obvious. Videl nodded, placing her hand on her hip.

"Yup, I've been calling him Turnip Head. Somehow he always manages to get stuck upside-down," she informed, tilting her head at her old friend.

At first the scarecrow did nothing, but suddenly, with a jump of energy, it sprung to life. Leaping up off its own accord, Turnip head leapt backwards, out of reach. He bounced from platform to platform of the castle before coming to a stop somewhere along the way of the castle's hull. It was from that high vantage point did he continue to bounce and hop, almost happy to be free. Maybe it was just Videl's imagination, or perhaps he was actually pleased to see her.

Videl blinked and leaned in a bit to Goten so he could hear her. "He keeps following me everywhere. Seems to have taken a liking to me," she said. Goten blinked and looked up at the raven haired teenager.

"That's weird, are you sure you're not a witch, Videl?" Goten asked. Videl turned to him and then grinned. She leaned in close to him as if she were a animal, a predator. Her eyes narrowed and a wide grin crossed her face. She was just playing anyway.

"Oh yes, I'm the worst kind of witch ever, the kind that cleans…"

Goten whimpered and pulled away.

* * *

_**Two Hours later…**_

After taking in the scenery and talking about Turnip-head, Videl and Goten went back to work. Videl allowed Goten the time to clean up his room while she worked away at the second floor and third floor. The rooms were tidied up quickly, all the dust bites, bugs, dirt and cobwebs cleared up. She also rearranged stuff so that the rooms weren't shabby. The bathroom was at the top of her list of things to clean. Though as disgusting as it was, she had a job to do. If she was to stay with Gohan and his younger brother, then she had to play her part.

On the brighter side of things, she didn't go into Gohan's room. She had to respect his privacy, as he was the one kind enough to let her live here. Goten's room however needed cleaning. Since he was the only company present besides Calcifer and Turnip-head, she could bully him a little, allowing herself access to his room. He had put stuff away in advance, making it easier for her to tidy up the place.

In advance to the chores she performed, she set up the lounge room according to design and feature, moving the couches and tables a bit, as well as supplying Calcifer with several more fire logs. She put several more pieces of fire blocks beside him that were within his reach. He was definitely pleased.

After the every single room in the entire castle was cleaned, tidied and sparkling, Videl moved onto the dishes. With Goten helping her dry them, they began sorting out that part of the lounge room. All the while Calcifer performed his duties. So when you look at it, everyone was working. Well, all except for Turnip-head. The scarecrow was unable to enter the castle because of the spells binding him to the outside world. Whatever curse he had on him was too powerful for Calcifer to bend. Still, in light of Gohan's absence, everything was moving splendidly.

At the end of the long two hours the castle had to endure on the rest of its 60 miles journey, Calcifer set the moving home down right beside Star Lake. The castle jerked to a stop, letting out gallons of steam as it sat down on the grassy hill. Its gears grinded and parts creaked before it was finally down. The fire demon could finally rest.

In the mean time, now that they had stopped, Videl and Goten could carry on more meaningful tasks. It was laundry drying time. Meeting Goten and Videl outside the backdoor (the door which everyone who lived in the castle accessed), Turnip-head joined in. He followed the pair out into the open, willing to help with the work load.

Videl gave him the simplest of tasks, to be used as a stand up pole to hang the washing from. Typing a rope round his arm, Videl told him to stretch out while Goten held onto the line. One by one, as the rope went along, Videl hung one article of clothing after another. When the line was finally fully extended, Turnip-head took it up to the top of the castle where the winds were fresh. Goten, amazed at how strong he was, pulled back when he felt the end of the rope almost slip out of his grasp.

"Stop…pulling so hard…Turnip-head," Goten groaned.

A lot of washing had to be pulled through. The scarecrow performed his tasks to Videl's satisfaction. Line after line of washing was pinned to places wherever Turnip-head took them. Under Videl's watchful eyes and guidance, things were alright and all in order. For the first time in her life, Videl was enjoying work. With Goten and many new, close friends standing by and helping, it was all in good fun.

As soon as all the washing was hanging out to dry, Videl and Goten decided to have a late, afternoon lunch. They brought out a table, a couple of chairs, a tea-pot, plates, bread, cheese, meat, tomatoes…everything they needed for an outdoor picnic. They set up shop a few meters away from the lake, allowing them a good view of the surrounding landscapes. Everything looked promising.

After watching Turnip-head sort out the clothes lines even more, the two of them sat down at the table and began eating. Videl poured both of them warm cups of tea, a real appreciation coming from Goten. The chibi chuckled, seeing Turnip-head hop down to the edge of the lake with another line of washing hanging from his arm.

"I think he likes doing the laundry," Goten exclaimed. Videl nodded in agreement, taking her cup of tea and blowing on it. The steam rising from its surface lifted before whispering away. The raven haired girl smiled.

"Looks like he'll have it done in no time," she said. The scarecrow stood silently in the background, with Goten watching him with interest and curiosity.

The chibi Saiyan wondered who he really was and where he came from. It was rare to come across a object that was alive and could perform numerous tasks. Videl also wondered who or what he really was. It surely didn't act like an ordinary scarecrow, and he was so kind and helpful. His type must have come from a long line of gentlemanly creatures. This meant that he couldn't be a cursed pile of sticks or a field scarecrow with a spell put on him. No. He had to be someone who knew how to act and think like a person. Goten didn't wander over the thoughts of accursed sticks for too long. He smiled and took a bite out of his ham, cheese and lettuce sandwich.

"I bet he's some kind of demon. Calcifer doesn't seem to mind him at all," Goten said, at the same time pointing out Calcifer's under minding of their new helper. Videl turned to Goten with a small smile and a tired gaze. Even so, she still shone in a bright illumination of hope, kindness and spirit.

"You're right, he probably is a demon," she replied before looking back out onto the lake. Goten looked back at the scarecrow, eyeing him more curiously. Seeing no reason to doubt what both of them had agreed on, he looked back onto the lake, hearing what else Videl had to say. She was very tired, and even so, she was still happy as ever. She sighed. "But he lead me here, so maybe he's the good kind…"

With that, they sat in silence, admiring the view. The lake that stretched onto the horizon beyond their sight glimmered, the sun shining down upon them and warming them. Today's lunch was one to be had. It was almost a perfect picture of what life would be like if change wasn't taken up so eagerly. There was so little pollution and human interference. Because no one ventured out here, Videl could call this place home. She was with a family who was kind and understood each other. Looking at them, she wished she could be a part of them.

And maybe she could…

Another hour was spent outside. The day had passed by quickly, just like the cleaning and chores. Videl was proud at her work. Even after lunch had come and gone, she remained outside, sitting on her chair and gazing out onto the lake. Goten and Turnip-head put away the laundry and took all the stuff in, all except Videl and her chair.

Listening to the waves of the lake flowing in land and pulling back out, the raven haired girl relaxed. Her sore muscles were ignored, replaced by the feeling of relief. She didn't know how long she sat by the lake. It was obvious it was for quite a while. The sun was beginning to set over the quiet mountain ranges, clouds beginning to drift in slowly from the dark regions of the planet. It would be dark soon enough, and Videl knew this. But she refused to leave her spot. She was captivated.

It was only Goten's return was she brought out of her dream world. The chibi looked at her as she stood by her side where she sat.

"We got all the laundry put away, Videl," the child exclaimed happily. Videl smiled and looked at him.

"Oh, thank you, Goten, you're so good," she said softly, reaching up and ruffling his head. Goten chuckled and waved her hand away.

Standing up and stretching out, the raven haired girl picked up her chair and shouldered it. She took one last look at the scenery, seeing the sun set over the horizon. The sky turned orange and purple with the light from the slowly disappearing sun.

"It's strange, Goten. I've never felt so peaceful…"

Not wanting to stand around and well on things for too long, Videl and Goten took their leave. Together, they headed back inside to the castle where Calcifer was waiting. Turnip-head remained outside, on top of the resting castle and overseeing things. He would remain there, just like the Son family. Videl would be spending yet more time with them.

She didn't mind…

TO BE CONTINUED…


	8. War Comes Home

**Gohan's Moving Castle**

**WAR comes HOME**

_**Southern coasts**_

_**Bordering the North and South lands…**_

It was dark…dark as the deepest abysses of both sea and space. It was a depressing atmosphere, filled with the essence of smoke, ash and sparks and the smell of decaying flesh, gun powder, fire and death. It was as if the plagues have spilled out onto these lands, enveloping all who dwell within it, consuming them into a world of pain, suffering, sadness and sickness. There was no peaceful life left as the scorched earth was torn apart by fierce battles of war.

Flying, airborne above all and shooting like a comet through the skies, a red, furry, muscular man shot out of the darkness. Following an old recon mission of the entire area, looking down from a birds eye view, the young, spiky haired Saiyan was able to see what had recently transpired in the following hours. As of now, their…his lands were under attack. The main lands of the North were burning, and the continents beyond that, far down South, were also in ruins.

The young man wore black, gi pants with red ankle weights and gi shoes. He also had a black belt strapped around him. His tail, which was normally wrapped around his waist, hung freely, waving about in a particular fashion. It was obviously Gohan, only he wasn't really a…Super Saiyan anymore. His increase in muscle span and mass, as well as the development of red cycles round his eyes, golden texture added to his irises and red fur growth over his arms, chest, back and tail indicated he was in a different state of Super Saiyan. His hair, now black, spikier and more defined, also showed how much he had changed. You may also take note that it hung back, almost like a pony tail but thicker, spikier and loose without any restraints. In any case, the sure transformation had given him an incredible power boost.

Soaring through the skies and looking like a comet imprinted against the black, masses of clouds and smoke, the young Saiyan continued his recon. His eyes gazed down towards the earth, capturing all the horrifying images of war imaginable.

He was flying above the coast, and what he saw was terrifying. The Southern Military's navy, consisting of Colorado Class Battleships, Heavy Cruisers, Destroyers, Frigates and Assault craft were mercilessly bombarding the Coast Line where the Northern Army was housed, defending the beaches. The surrounding houses were burned to the ground, exploding into showers of debris and rubble. Bunkers and trenches were also torn apart, with the soldiers within them also being disintegrated. Their screams of terror were muffled by the explosions as naval artillery hammered them mercilessly.

When he thought that this slaughter would continue, it got worse. Hearing another set of gun fire, Gohan looked further out to sea. There, he saw a massive Armada of Northern naval vessels heading towards the Southern Armada. The fleet of Nevada Class Battleships, Super-Heavy Cruisers, Destroyers and Pennsylvania Class Battleships flared their guns at the enemy fleet. Within moments, several of the Southern naval vessels were sunk. Three battleships burst into flames. One ship had her back broken and was underwater within seconds. In response to this new threat, the Southern navy turned their attention to the opposing fleet and opened fire. The sounds of naval cannon fire was deafening!

Taking a swoop downwards, Gohan detoured through a cross-fire, watching as the ships hammered away at each other. On closer inspection, he could see men on all sides taking to the deck and returning fire with anti-aircraft weaponry, as well as other smaller pieces of naval fire power. The rounds launched at the ships struck home. Whenever a battleship was struck, men were blown to pieces or literally thrown off the ship from the resounding force. Gohan could see naval personnel floating in the water, either withering away in the cold, calling for help, or floating as lifeless corpses.

Barely avoiding a anti-battle craft round, Gohan took to the skies once more. As soon as he reached a certain altitude, he turned his attention inland. Moving over several of the beaches, he could see landing craft, mostly rowboats packed with soldiers, making their way inland. The Southern Army was attempting a desperate, coastal assault! However, their efforts were futile as the Northern Defenders were already waiting for them. In the wake of the bombardment, carnage had spread across the coast, however, there were still strong points and bunkers still standing. As soon as the invaders were ashore, they were rained down by heavy machine gun fire from the bunkers and trenches up on the cliffs. The very few tank obstacles provided some cover, but it wouldn't be long till enemy artillery came in and wasted them. The Northern Army wasn't planning on giving up their land any time soon.

Gohan skipped this battle, figuring he shouldn't get involved. Whatever he was capable of doing would bring more death and destruction. All he could do now was to try and keep either side from making their advances. But God knows what was going to happen next.

Just as he was retreating over safe ground, his eyes and senses caught the distant churning of engines and whistles. Looking up, he saw that ahead of him, just several more miles above a town, a squadron of bombers, blimps and air-battle cruisers belonging to the Southern armies was laying waste to the countryside town. A series of explosion and napalm blasts erupted, engulfing the town in a fiery column of death. There were no screams, just explosions…

A couple of minutes of flying around a bit more, Gohan saw the Northern Defenders approaching. The Northern Military's air-force had arrived to repel the next wave. Squadrons of air-bikes, blimps, bombers and air-cruisers were on route, charging in head to head with the enemy. As soon as they were all in range, their heavy guns and weaponry lit up, filling the skies with flak and flashes of projectiles. The booming of 103 AMP rounds was heard clearly, and seconds later, a flying vessel would burst into flames. Great explosions and flashes of light sounded the destruction of one air craft. The downed titans would burn to the ground, filling the sky with a red death. It was fire in the sky.

Gohan flew straight through the rain of debris and burning ships, avoiding each one and watching as the ash floated past him. There was no where he could turn without seeing a path of destruction or death making its way towards him. This gave a totally new meaning that war is hell. He couldn't imagine hell being much worse.

Fortunately he was saved from further dilemma and delusion as he was found a target from an unlikely foe.

A group of Southern air-cruisers had just entered the scene, with its pilots and crew spotting his familiar form shooting through the skies. It was here they deployed their newly acquired air-corps. Just behind the bomb bay doors, there was a hatch. One of the vessels opened up this hatch, revealing what looked to be a plastic tube. When it opened up, it expelled thirty living objects into the air, which immediately took flight. A second vessel opened a different hatch, this one able to be accessed by man sized objects. From here, thirty different objects took flight, only this time; these ones looked more humanoid then ever…

Gohan sensed this and spotted these flying creatures. With just one glance, the young Saiyan's instincts flared. With a grin, he changed course and flew straight for these creatures. When he was close enough, he could identify the creatures easily.

The first squadron of creatures to have taken flight was humanoid in size just like the second group, only these were more…foreign looking. Shall we say, alien like. All of them were exactly the same to the next. They had pink skin, skinny, unfit bodies, wore white, baggy pants, black belts with golden buckles, had a flat, snake like nose, black eyes with red irises, air holes dotting their bodies and had a small, tentacle emerging from the backs of their head. They were horrid looking, and all let out simultaneous, evil laughs. It was an entire group of thirty Kid Buus!

The second group of course, was far different to them. They were all clones, and all had Oozaru like faces, but their bodies remained the same. They also had brown, furry tails like Gohan in normal form, and they all wore blue, spandex uniforms and white-yellow plastic body armor (just like Vegeta). Though different from the ordinary civilization, Gohan identified them as cursed or mutated Saiyans. These beings let out roars, like wolves, and were all looking ravenously hungry!

Gohan didn't take this into full perspective and charged straight into the mass, fist first. As soon as he was within reach, he rammed his fist into his nearest opponent. With speeds greater then their own, he slammed his fist straight into one of the Kid Buu's, driving forward and picking up several more targets. Soon, he was flying on with a group of Kid Buu's and Saiyans mashed into a pile, which he pushed along. Then, as soon as he had a whole mass ready for the final kill, he opened his palm and unleashed a powerful, golden ki blast. There was a blinding flash of light, accompanied by the sounds of rushing winds, energy and screams/roars of terror from the Kid Buus and Saiyans. As soon as their bodies were reduced to ash, he flew on, pursued by a new legion of creatures.

Smiling, Gohan stopped high above them before flying straight down. In a flash, he reached the new mass, attacking with ferocity. As he plummeted, he sent a roundhouse kick into one of the faces of the Kid Buu's, knocking him away. He then grabbed a incoming fist from one of the Saiyan's and, spinning about, threw him into another Buu. Then, steadying himself, he flipped over and sent a downward kick into the back of one of the Saiyan's heads, knocking him away. This attack readjusted his position so that he was falling right side up. As soon as he was level, he avoided attacks from charging Buu's, shifting through the air before eventually grabbing one of them by the ankle and pulling it to him. He slammed his fist into its face several times, knocking it senseless before sending a final elbow so that he knocked it away. But just as it was sent away, he was grabbed from behind and piled on by a mix of five Saiyans and Buus. They were all screaming and roaring in outrage and effort, staggering him forward. Seconds later, another group rammed into him from the front.

Just as it seemed that he would be crushed by all of them while he fell back to earth, there was a blinding flash of light and a growl. A blue shield blasted outwards, throwing all those on him off and sending them away, charred and damaged. Gohan's arms and legs were spread out wide, a angered look on his face.

As soon as his foes were away, he was able to concentrate on the others. The rest came in one after another, and Gohan fended them off, always knocking them away without a hassle. But then, minutes later, he realized that there were too many of them. The skies were no swarming with thousands of Saiyans and Buus. It was insane! How many people serving the Southern army had converted themselves to these beasts?! It was mind boggling.

Not wasting any time, Gohan shot straight up for the skies. Along the way, he sent basic ki blasts at several incoming Buus and Saiyans intent on blocking his way. They were disintegrated easily. Then, with his golden, fierce aura bursting around him, he shot skywards, pursued by the regiment worth of attackers. While he was being pursued, Gohan glared down with rage and frustration, his face bruised and lip bleeding. With a growl, he held his hands to his sides, blue ki balls of energy forming. With a yell, he threw both hands up, linked the energy formations before throwing his hands down, towards his targets. A massive blast of energy shot forth from his palms, charging straight down towards the mass of creatures and engulfing them. A majority of them were killed, leaving only 1,125 left from the 4,200 that were sent after him. Now more ash and smoke filled the skies, of whatever remained of his victims.

Not discouraged by this sight, the rest of them continued on with the pursuit, forcing Gohan into a faster retreat. Without a second thought, he shot straight towards the cloudy skies above. He could see that the electromagnetic field generated by the destruction of so many airships had left the atmosphere of clouds electrified and dangerous. It would kill anyone who approached. Gohan knew that it was his only way out. Throwing his hand up towards it, he let out a yell, firing a invisible ki wave at it. A massive hole was punched straight through, revealing the clear blue above. it was as if he was flying in the eye of a giant cyclone.

Within seconds, Gohan was clear free and shot through the layer of dark clouds where he made the gap. On his exit, he closed up the hole in the clouds with a reappearing spell. This blocked off any access to him for the Buus and Saiyans. As soon as they saw the eye close, the Saiyans and Buus broke away, pulling back so not to hit the clouds. But several of them weren't so lucky. They ran straight into it. The electromagnetic field enveloped them and fried them like pieces of steak in a furnace. Their bodies returned to earth as ashes…well…those who were able to avoid this fate.

Gohan had vanished…

* * *

_**Hours later…**_

_**Back at Port Haven**_

The war has been dragging on for three days now, and already there has been severe numbers of casualties. But even as the ports and villages further south were suffering from the effects of the war, the villages up north were still all at peace.

The store of _The Great Wizard Jenkins_ and the streets outside it remained peaceful. The same went for it inside. With the door and area set on the Port Haven store, a dim light seeped into the interior of Gohan's castle. Even though the sun was just about to rise, it failed to disturb any of the occupants indoors. They were too busy snoring away. Well, most of them anyway. Calcifer was occasionally drifting in and out of unconsciousness. Even though he could sleep, he had four areas to mind: the castle, the _Jenkins_ store, the _Pendragon_ store and the unknown, black area. If he wasn't a fire demon, he may as well be a door man.

Anyway, while the whole castle was silent as the grave, the dial to the door suddenly flipped to the black quarter. With a chime of a bell, the windows darkened. The light from Port Haven vanished, replaced by nothingness. It was from this nothingness did the door open slowly before suddenly closing. At first there was nothing, as if an invisible entity had entered the castle's midst. However, the sounds of heavy footsteps advertised the return of a familiar owner. Slowly, a figure materialized out of thin air. Dripping with blood, and bloodied up as well, the Super Saiyan 4 Gohan walked over to the chair set in front of the fire place. As soon as he reached it, he turned and slumped right down into it. Letting out a sigh of relief and a hiss of pain, he brought both his feet up and onto the concrete area in front of Calcifer and his frame holdings. The orange flame flickered, the light falling upon Gohan's form. The young Saiyan's head was dipped back, his eyes tightly shut.

A distant chime sounded, making it clear that the door had flipped back to Port Haven. Light from outside spilled in once more, filling the room with a brighter dim. Even so, the atmosphere still felt cold and tense, with the smell of death evident in the air. Calcifer took note of this, and was already aware of Gohan's return. Peering over his charred log, he could see the state Gohan was in and was silently placed in a state of shock. He blinked, his form flickering and crackling away.

"Whoa…" Calcifer whispered. "Are you okay? Man…you smell terrible…"

Gohan trembled a bit, his fingers curling and twitching. His mouth was agape and his breathing was raspy. To add to the red cycles round his eyes, he had blood leaking from them, as well as from his mouth. It stained and smeared his chin, as well as his chest. His arms, chest, and the rest of his body was battered and bruised, with cuts exposed and bleeding. To add to it, he was in terrible pain, and not just from having three broken ribs, a cracked shoulder plate, bruised bones and sore muscles. His outside state was worse then ever.

Feeling that the shoots of pain were caused due to his coursing energy, Gohan felt that a change was in order. With a might drop of effort, he lowered his energy level and brought it back in. Slowly, and painfully, his fur rippled and sunk back into his body, being replaced by regular skin. His shirt failed to reappear as it had been damaged during his transformation. To accompany this degeneration, the cycles round his eyes disappeared and his irises flashed back to orb black. His tail hung limply, its brown texture returned. Then, with a groan of agony and a sigh of relief, he was back to normal. His body, though still bruised and battered, felt much better.

Calcifer blinked when he saw Gohan return to his original form. "You shouldn't keep flying around like that. Soon you won't be able to turn back to your normal form…" the flame said in warning. He knew very well that Super Saiyan 4 was hard to control, but it made it worse in Gohan's position. Shaking his head, Calcifer reached out to the side and grabbed a nearby piece of timber. Setting it underneath him, he smiled up at the young Saiyan. "Isn't this great, Videl put these here for me!" he exclaimed.

Gohan groaned as he sat up, bringing his feet back down. Adjusting his arms and fixing his broken bones by sending recovery energy through his system, he sighed and looked up at his friend. "This war is terrible. They've bombed from the Southern Coast to the Northern Border, it's all in flames now…"

Calcifer scowled in disgust. "I can't stand the fire and gun powder!" he muttered. "Those dopey guys have absolutely no manners!" Gohan chuckled, his eyes filling with new life at Calcifer's sense of bringing up a good joke every now and then. The young Saiyan grinned, though was inwardly disturbed.

"My own kind attacked me today…" the young Saiyan informed. Calcifer blinked in surprise.

"Who? The Witch of the Waste? Babidi?" Gohan shook his head.

"No. Not wizards. Some mad soldiers who turned themselves into Saiyan monsters for the King," the young Saiyan replied. Calcifer blinked, lowering himself back down again. The fire demon sighed in dismay and shook his head.

"Those soldiers are going to regret doing that," Calcifer confessed. "They'll never change back into humans." Gohan nodded affirmatively.

"I know. That curse will stay with you forever if you use it unwisely for too long. Especially Babidi's new henchmen; Majin Buu soldiers," Gohan said. Calcifer looked at him in disbelief, his form seemingly growing larger in its place.

"You're kidding. They're using copies of the original Majin Buu!" Gohan nodded, making Calcifer cringe and pull back. "I thought you defeated that monster years ago…"

"Apparently I did, and Babidi as well. But like him, he's still alive. Using whatever essence he was able to scrounge, Babidi is giving it to Southern Kingdom soldiers as experiments. Once they've fused with the formula, they become his henchmen, overcome with evil. Babidi also gave a sample to the Witch of the Waste to use, and she enhanced it in her own way to create those black, blob soldiers," Gohan said, piecing together everything he had learnt so far. Calcifer had to agree. He trusted Gohan's judgment after all.

"Guess there's no hope for them now eh?" Calcifer replied. Gohan nodded glumly.

"After the war…who knows what will become of them. They're all expendable assets. Their lives will be destroyed. They won't even recall ever being human; they'll just live as mindless puppets for Babidi. If he's still alive, then I've got a lot of trouble on my hands…"

Calcifer blinked, rising up again to a certain height. "Hey, aren't you supposed to report to the King too? Like all the others?" Gohan sighed and stood up. Ignoring his sore muscles he turned and headed for the stairs.

"I'm tired. Make some hot water for my bath…" The fire demon was no less then astounded, especially at Gohan's quick recovery. But then again, it was most likely the immediate, sudden order he was given.

"What! Not again!"

Ignoring the complaints thrown at him by the fire demon, Gohan walked over to the stairs. But instead of going up to the next level, he focused most of his attention towards the ki hiding under the stairs. Now no longer subjected to the untidiness of the room's previous state, he was easily able to access this area easily. When he reached the space under the stairs, he pulled away the curtains and looked down at the couch. To his tired eyes, he drew amazement when he saw a small form, wrapped in a blanket, lying curled up on the couch, back turned to him.

Coming in for a closer look, he saw that it was his house guest, Videl, sleeping silently. Drawing in steady, peaceful breaths, the girl dreamt on, venturing into the unknown parts of her sub-conscious mind. Gohan drew breath himself into a silent gasp, his eyes widening. He had just laid a steady eye on her face, and for the first time ever, he was able to see how beautiful she really was. Her perfect skin with raven, silk like hair lying across her delicate surface, added by that feminine, girl image. Without her pigtails, she looked gorgeous. He never really took the time to notice.

After a moment or two of staring at her, Gohan began to think. He wondered whether she…in her state, would like him. Even though the stories about him were a bit exaggerated, he knew that a lot of people really believed in them. He hoped that she didn't see him as a monster of a sort. He would have to find out later…

With a smile, he closed the curtains and pulled away. With a turn of his heel, he headed up stairs to the bathroom. he had to get himself cleaned up…

**TO BE CONTINUED…**


End file.
